#Egypt protesters send message to Morsi #30June "Live Updated"

Protests calling for the resignation of Egypt's President Mohammed Morsi and early presidential elections are taking place in the capital, Cairo, and across the country.

Opponents of the Islamist president are demanding his resignation but President Morsi has remained defiant, telling The Guardian that if he stepped down, it would only undermine the legitimacy of his successors.

#28June : A rehearsal For #30June #egypt

#28June : A rehearsal For #30June 

 

And people went to protest today. Egyptians vs. Egyptians , civilians Vs. Civilians or Non Islamists Vs. Islamists to be accurate.

Hundreds of thousands protests against Muslim brotherhood and Mohamed Morsi in rehearsal today across the country for the big day on the 30th. Also hundreds of thousands were there in Cairo protesting in solidarity with Muslim brotherhood and Mohamed Morsi.

The scene of Islamists was repetitive but the scene of angry citizens including first time protesters and NDPians in the protests along with the revolutionaries was rare.

Of course it was not that peaceful because clashes happened and we got over 500 injured. Ministry of health says that 3 have been killed including a US citizen who was stabbed in Alexandria unfortunately.  The death toll of the Muslim brotherhood is 5 up till now while 2 for the protesters as well 1 US citizen.

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Today several MB headquarters and branches have been torched and vandalized by angry protesters in Alexandria and Mansoura.

Here is a quick Storify report from photos and videos about the day. I am still updating it after the break.

Now leaks I knew earlier this week that things will be bloody in North Delta and the old NDPian leading figures will make it bloody in all possible ways so the army would intervene. I think I said it before. If you speak about peacefulness than you are either weak coward who lives in lala land or secret MB agent Online.

I do not underestimate the anger of the people nor the fact that everybody is denying that we are fully armed society now.

Tahrir square is full again but …

I can not be so happy that Tahrir square is full now , it has been full before by revolutionaries alone without MB or Mubarak loyalists or military loyalists. I can not be so happy because I see too much hate and anger blinding everybody.

Today I found a tweep comparing the Muslim brotherhood as the Jews in Germany before WWII reaching to the conclusion that a holocaust would be great for the Muslim brotherhood.

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I can not be so happy when I see that bearded men are being attacked in the streets and there are threats to butcher the Muslim brotherhood and their families like sheep.

I can not be so happy that Tahrir square is full when I see faces from those who called the martyrs of Tahrir and Mohamed Mahmoud street every possible name and accusing revolution of being a foreign plot bragging on how they are protesting in the square. Yes the square is for everybody but emotionally speaking I remember what everybody said in the past two years , it is curse. For God those people are still attacking the January 25 Revolution calling it a defeat , a setback and a foreign conspiracy.

Politically and realistically speaking I believe that we can not win the battle when we have different goals. This is the dilemma , the revolutionaries want their revolution back on track once again for democracy and freedom while the Mubarak loyalists want the military back and to end democracy.They got higher voice in the media now despite they need the revolutionary cover in front of the world.

Of course if anyone dares to speak about this matter online in Arabic he or she will be accused of being a secret MB cell spreading lies who is trying to split the unity of the great people’s revolution. I have had my share already for being called all sort of insults for saying this.

Anyhow to be realistic you do not need to be an expert to know that sooner or later the army will do something considering how the armed forces troops are deployed throughout the country. Whether it is going to be a full scale coup or soft coup I do not know.

Nevertheless I have to admit that greed and stupidity of the Muslim brotherhood will be studied and that the deep state in Egypt knew how to use that greed in order to return back to the scene just like knowing the weakness points of the 25 January revolutionaries. Unfortunately the revolutionaries and the people do not want to understand or learn from their mistakes like others.

#Morsi has turned his back on #Egypt's revolution #Tamarod

On a busy Cairo street on a June night, two twentysomething women stood facing oncoming cars, each holding a banner. The first read "tamarod" – in reference to the "rebel" movement collecting signatures of citizens opposed to X  President Mohamed Morsi. The other banner read: "If you want Morsi to leave, honk your horn." The air was filled with the sound of horns.

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A similar noise had filled the capital a year earlier, on the announcement that Morsi won the presidential elections over Ahmed Shafik. Many viewed Morsi's win as a victory for the revolution because Shafik was a Mubarak-era minister and prime minister, and a former member of the army that has assumed an undemocratic role in Egypt's politics and economy since 1952.

Then, the Muslim Brotherhood allied with a segment of the revolutionary forces named the National Front. The Front campaigned for the Brotherhood's then-candidate in return for pledges he made. Their role was decisive given the slim victory he obtained – hardly 51% of the votes. Today, almost all of them have turned against the president. Morsi's opponents are accused by Brotherhood members, as well as by international observers, of not accepting democracy and election's results.

Although this concern is understandable, Egypt's reality is more complicated. From the beginning, Morsi failed to meet the pledges he made in the historic Fairmont agreement held with the National Front. Such pledges included forming a "national salvation" government. He didn't even meet with the Front again after the initial meeting held following his victory. Every time they tried to meet him they were told he was busy, according to the Front's spokeswoman Dr Heba Raouf.

Step by step, Morsi turned his back to the revolution. He formed temporary alliances with the interior ministry accused of killing protesters; with the military responsible for the deaths of protesters in the months that followed Mubarak's ousting; and with the businessmen accused of corruption under Mubarak. Instead of restructuring the interior ministry, Morsi praised it, saying that the police was "at the heart" of the revolution. And instead of holding the army responsible for the deaths of protesters under military rule, Morsi said it "protected the revolution".

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This could have been tolerated if Morsi's rule had brought prosperity to Egyptians. In an ailing economy, the quality of life has worsened, with rising poverty and unemployment, frequent power cuts and gasoline shortages – all topped by rising crime rates. The movement that brags about being 80 years old and having a grassroots outreach has demonstrated that it is not qualified to run the country.

Morsi's supporters argue it is too early to judge his performance, that one year is not enough to solve problems inherited from Mubarak's 30-year rule, with many of the corrupt state apparatuses still refusing to bend to his successor's will. But Morsi has not shown signs that he has a workable plan for handling those problems. Egyptians could have stood behind him in such a fight if he had engaged them. He comes up with vague conspiracy theories: "Whoever sticks his finger inside Egypt, I will cut it off. I see the fingers of people getting inside who have no value in this world," he said in March, without specifying who these people were.

His supporters again point to the remnants of Mubarak's regime. But Morsi leaves his opponents mind-boggled by appointing many leading figures from that very regime as ministers and governors.

Egyptian society is marred by division. By repeatedly addressing his supporters alone at their rallies in times of nation-wide tensions, Morsi has helped deepen such division. Amid the Ittihadiya events, he implicitly endorsed his supporters' attack on a sit-in waged by anti-Morsi protesters.

While many Egyptians hope that the man and his movement will reap on 30 June – when massive protests have been planned – what they have sown throughout the past year. Some observers still hope that the opposition will pursues "democratic mechanisms" – building their ranks and waiting until the elections in three years' time. The latter would have been a viable option if Morsi's rule had been democratic. The prosecution, headed by a Morsi appointee, has warranted the arrest of influential activists able to mobilise organised opposition, including Ahmed Maher of the National Front, the group that helped Morsi come to power. Charges tend to include "inciting protests" and "insulting the president".

Morsi was elected before a constitution specifying his powers and the nature of his post was drafted. After he became president, he sponsored and endorsed a constitution with fundamentally undemocratic articles legalising military tribunals for civilians and giving the military and its budget special status above public accountability. This makes talk of democracy unreasonable. A look back at 2011 reminds us that the revolution erupted to save a country and a people from falling apart. That took priority over "democratic means", even if democracy was an ultimate goal. If it is still an ultimate goal, it is one that cannot be achieved under the rule of the undemocratic organisation that is the Muslim Brotherhood.

#30June Get ready for A revolution against the Muslim Brotherhood #Tamarod

 Tamarod ,the rebellious mother movement of the upcoming 30 June protests launched today the 30 June Front. That front is an attempt to have a political cover for the protests despite the founders of that front made it clear in a press conference that they do not represent all revolutionaries or political powers.

Now the 30 June Front presented a roadmap for Egypt after Mohamed Morsi as Tamarod believes that it is going to oust him on 30 June through petitions. The 6 months transitional period roadmap is as follows after getting rid from MB and Morsi :

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To appoint an independent Prime minister that represents 25 Revolution.

To assign this prime minister with all the executive powers of the president and he will head a technocrat government whose main mission is to fix economy and adopt social justice policies.

To assign the head of supreme constitutional court with the President’s protocol missions.

To dissolve the Shura council and to suspend the current constitution.

To form a new constituent assembly in order to draft a new constitution.

To have presidential elections by the end of the 6 months followed by parliamentary elections monitored by judges and surpervised internationally. 

The National defense council is responsible for national security.

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It is worth to mention that the boys and girls of Tamarod have met with Heikal, the old fox twice in the past two weeks. Politically speaking this roadmap is perfect or rather was perfect for Egypt on 12 February 2011 if people were honest in having true democracy. There is one missing detail is how to reach this roadmap already.

Now there are too many players with other roadmaps and agendas.

The 30 June Front is founded by a number of revolutionary and political activists like Israa Abdel Fatah, Amr Salah, Mohamed Abdel Aziz, Ahmed Harara , Khaled El Belshy and other others.

The press conference was attended by many of the famous faces from activists like Ahmed Harara, Karima El Khafny, Hossam Eissa , Khaled Dawood , Hossam Mounis, Mazhar Shahin and Nour El Huda Zaki.

Here are couple of photos I took from the press conference.

#Morsi's speech #egypt

Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi has warned that continuing unrest is "threatening to paralyse the country".

In a televised speech marking his first year in office, Morsi said he had made some "mistakes" since becoming president.
Troops have been deployed across Egyptian cities ahead of planned weekend protests demanding his removal.
Ahead of Mr Morsi's speech, deadly clashes broke out in the northern city of Mansoura.
Two people were killed and 170 injured in fighting between supporters and opponents of the government, a health ministry spokesman told the BBC.
Morsi took power on 30 June 2012. His first year in office has been marred by constant political unrest and a sinking economy.
'Radical measures'

 

Anti-government protesters gathered across Cairo ahead of the president's national address

Speaking on Wednesday evening, President Morsi promised to introduce immediate and radical reforms in state institutions.
He said the polarisation of politics in Egypt had reached the stage where it risked destabilising the entire nation.
 Morsi added that he had done "his best to evaluate the situation" during the past year.
"I was right in some cases, and wrong in other cases," Morsi said.
"I have discovered after a year in charge that for the revolution to achieve its goals, it needs radical measures.
"Every revolution has enemies and every nation has challenges," he said, adding that he would "build on the positives and address the negatives".

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 Morsi's year in review

• June 2012 - Narrowly wins presidential election. Orders parliament to meet in defiance of a military decree dissolving it
• July 2012 - Submits to a Supreme Court ruling that the parliamentary elections were invalid
• August 2012 - Dismisses Defence Minister Hussein Tantawi and Chief of Staff Sami Annan and strips military of say in legislation and drafting the new constitution
• November 2012 - Rescinds a decree stripping the judiciary of the right to challenge his decisions, after popular protests
• December 2012 - Public vote approves draft constitution boosting the role of Islam and restricting freedom of speech and assembly
• March 2013 - Court halts his plans to bring parliamentary elections forward to April, citing failure to refer the electoral law to the Constitutional Court
• June 2013 - Puts Islamist in charge of 13 of Egypt's 27 governorships - controversially he appoints a member of the former armed group Gamaa Islamiya to be governor of Luxor

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But despite Morsi's initial conciliatory tone, the speech swiftly moved into a condemnation of named people he blamed for Egypt's problems, the BBC's Aleem Maqbool,judges and a journalist figured among those criticised, our correspondent says.

Anti-government supporters had gathered in the capital's Tahrir Square and outside the defence ministry ahead of Morsi's speech.

The head of the army earlier warned it would not allow Egypt to slip into "uncontrollable conflict".

Soldiers have been stationed in areas of the capital, Cairo, where pro-Morsi demonstrators are expected to gather following Friday prayers.

Armoured trucks are lining the streets in near Rabaa al-Adawiya Mosque in the city's east, which has become a gathering point for Islamist protesters.

Troops have also been deployed to protect the presidential palace - the scene of previous clashes - and other public buildings in Cairo.

Fuel shortages Tensions in Cairo have been rising ahead of the demonstrations planned for the weekend, with counter-demonstrations by Islamists in support of Morsi planned for the coming days.

There have also been acute shortages of fuel in the city, leading to huge traffic jams as well as long and sometimes bad-tempered queues at petrol stations, adding to the febrile atmosphere.

 

Soldiers have been deployed across Cairo and other cities around the country ahead of the protests
Some Cairenes have begun stockpiling food in anticipation of street clashes between the two opposing political camps, with staples including canned goods, grains and frozen vegetables much sought after.
Gen Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi said the army was obliged to stop Egypt plunging into a "dark tunnel", in remarks which were seen as one of the strongest interventions since the army handed over power to President Morsi last year.
Anti-Morsi activists say they have gathered 13 million signatures on a petition calling for the Islamist leader to step down. They want early presidential elections to be called to replace him.
His supporters say any move to unseat him now would be undemocratic.
Many analysts say the instability and a continuing threat of violence have frightened away foreign investors and tourists.
There is increasing unemployment, particularly among the young, and the country's foreign currency reserves are falling.

#egypt Spooky! Egyptian statuette spins untouched inside glass case

Is this ancient Egyptian statue a sign that there really is a curse of the Pharaohs? Relic of the god of death found inside mummy’s tomb and kept in museum for 80 years starts SPINNING on its own

THE curse of Tutankhamen is said to have claimed more than 20 lives. By contrast, the curse of Neb-Senu amounts to little more than an occasional inconvenience for museum curators. Over several days, the ten-inch Egyptian statuette gradually rotates to face the rear of the locked glass cabinet in which it is displayed, and has to be turned around again by hand.

Those who like tales of haunted pyramids and walking mummies may regard the mystery of the 4,000-year-old relic – an offering to Osiris, god of the dead – as the strangest thing to hit Egyptology in decades.

Others, including TV physicist Professor Brian Cox, have a more down-to-earth explanation for its movement.

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Whatever the solution, the puzzle certainly won’t dent visitor numbers at its present home, Manchester Museum.

The statuette’s slow about-turn has been captured on film by a time-lapse camera, and curator Campbell Price, 29, says he believes there may be a spiritual explanation.

‘I noticed one day that it had turned around,’ he said. ‘I thought it was strange because it is in a case and I am the only one who has a key.

‘I put it back, but then the next day it had moved again.

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