As in every demo, I tried to chat with the Central Security Forces conscripts. The reactions are usually mixed. On Sunday, I felt they were very chatty whenever their officers were not around.
The conscripts were complaining they were mobilized out of their camps (Ahmad Shawqi’s Sector, Nasr City) into the downtown Cairo parliament street as early as 6am. One of them kept looking to the officers and was murmuring: “Kossom el-Zobbat! Kossom el-Zobbat!” (Fuck the officers! Fuck the officers!). They hated their jobs. They hated their superiors. They hated the fact that they were ordered to intimidate fellow citizens who are just as poor as them.
Still when the orders came to disperse the strikers, they did it. But I’m sure they did unwillingly, and because they still fear their officers’ reprisals. All signs say, however, this paramilitary force the regime uses cannot and will not stand against a 1977 scenario.
Down with Mubarak.
Hossam, what’s a good source for the history of the 1986 Amn al-Markazy protests?
Unfortunately, there aren’t good books yet written about this very very very important incident in the history of modern Egypt..
https://arabawy.org/1397/on-the-1986-csf-intifada/
I’d assume part of this has to do with the restrictions on publishing anything related national security. I’ll try to dig up some activist literature written about this and will get back to you
Your slideshow of pics is awesome! I’ve heard various versions of the CSF revolt, including one that it started with the abuse of conscripts by officers that got out of hand, and that eventually the CSF conscripts (after army intervention) accepted a token improvement of their treatment, which basically amounted to extra blankets.
Check this out:
https://revsoc.me/-9144