I think this is a huge mile-stone for us in terms of collective action.. there was a single collective cause that people agree upon and this form of civil resistance was something everyone could and was willing to do..
usually there would be the fear that you would get in trouble if you did it alone, or ‘ya3ni what difference would i make’ , bas yesterday there was this sense that as an individual you DID make a difference and you were NOT alone..

There was suspense every second of the day, every step of the way, no one had any idea what was going to happen the next second, and this meant that it was bigger than each of us,and bigger than all of us together. There were ALOT of stakeholders in this movement.

It’s a step. somehwere in the din of hte battle, in the frustration, the anxiety, the arrests, the rubble of all the hope and aspiration; there was a ‘WE’ – and that’s a step :)

GREAT compilation of the events ya Hossam!!! It isn’t over.. hold ur breath for mahalla..

Textile Workers League
Marhalla
7 April 2008

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

Solidarity with the Mahalla textile workers

On behalf of Manchester Trades Union Council, I am writing to express our solidarity with your struggle. As we read the reports of your battles yesterday, 6 April, we are inspired by your courage and determination.

Across the world we are seeing unending attacks on workers as governments and employers try to keep wages down while prices rise. In Britain too we have experience of this and we are also fighting back. On 24 April, hundreds of thousands of teachers and government officials will be on strike against the attempts of the government to hold wage increases below inflation. These attempts to use the so called ‘free market’ follow the neo-liberal policies of the international financial institutions: the IMF, World Bank, WTO and governments around the world. These are anti worker, anti trade union policies which increase the poverty of millions while enriching the few,

In Egypt, where the history of exploitation and oppression has been particularly bitter, the struggle of the Mahalla workers encourages us all to keep fighting.

Please keep us informed and let us know how we can assist you.

In solidarity,

Geoff Brown
Secretary

التجمع اليساري من أجل التغيير، المكتب السياسي للحزب الشيوعي اللبناني، رابطة أساتذة التعليم الثانوي الرسمي في لبنان، نقابة عمال البناء في لبنان، الحزب الشيوعي السوري، الحزب الشيوعي الأردني، الحزب الشيوعي التشيكي، الحزب الشيوعي الروسي، حزب العمل التركي، المنبر الديموقراطي التقدمي البحريني، الجبهة الشعبية لتحرير فلسطين، الجبهة الديموقراطية لتحرير فلسطين، Italy Party of the Communist Refoundation، Worker’s Party of Belgium.

Some pictures from the security forces seige of Mahalla taken this morning is here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/perbjorklund