“Egyptians Without Borders” have launched a campaign against Mubarak’s presidential succession scheme in Egypt.
The group called on Gamal Mubarak to resign from his post as the head of the National Democratic Party’s Policies Secretariat, demanded Hosni Mubarak to appoint a vice president, in addition to the release of all political detainees.
Few dozens assembled with difficulty in Tahrir Square, under immense security presence, to demonstrate against Mubarak’s National Democratic Party’s congress that’s starting tomorrow.
The sit in, organized by Kefaya, should have lasted till the following day, as the ambitious organizers of the event were hoping. However the heavy police presence that prevented groups of demonstrators to assemble, in addition to the weak turn out to start with, meant this was not possible at all.
On my way to Tahrir, I spotted seven Central Security Forces trucks full of conscripts parked in front of the Arab League, and five other trucks and three police vans in Qasr el-Nil Street. (I’m sure there were loads of other trucks parked all over downtown as usual, but I couldn’t spot them where I was.) The center of the square was already occupied by regular police conscripts in white uniforms. Plainclothes security agents could also be seen virtually everywhere.
Only a crowd of at best 70 activists, mainly from the Revolutionary Socialists, Ghad, Karama, and independents, managed to assemble. They were cornered by a CSF ring in the square at the beginning of Qasr el-Nil street. The demonstrators called for the release of political detainees, chanted against the Mubarak family, NDP, corruption, and chanted against the US as the sponsor of Mubarak’s regime, and against Israel, the regime’s ally as protesters put it. Some left wing demonstrators chanted calling for the “execution of the president on charges of high treason,” others called for his assassination a la Sadat.
The sit in was folded at 9:30pm, and demonstrators announced they will be meeting at the Lawyer’s Syndicate on Thursday 7pm for the Kefaya conference on constitutional amendments.
Some statistics from AP on the US-run global gulag…
A look at the U.S. overseas detention system that has developed since 2001:
NUMBERS OF DETAINEES
Iraq (Camp Bucca, Camp Cropper, Fort Suse) – 13,390
Afghanistan (Bagram air base) – Estimated 500
Guantanamo Bay – 455
NATIONALITIES
Iraq – U.S. command last year counted 325 “foreign fighters” but overwhelming majority Iraqi.
Afghanistan – Afghans, Arabs, central Asians, possibly others.
Guantanamo Bay – 48 nationalities (past and present), vast majority from Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Pakistan, Algeria, China, Morocco, Kuwait, Tajikistan and Tunisia.
CONSTRUCTION
Iraq – U.S. Army opened $60 million detention center in August at Camp Cropper, near Baghdad’s airport.
Guantanamo Bay – This fall U.S. Navy plans to open new $30 million maximum-security wing.
DETAINEE ABUSE
Allegations – About 800 investigations of alleged mistreatment in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Punished – More than 250 service personnel punished, many via loss of rank or pay, or discharge from service.
Courts-Martial – At least 103
Convictions – 89 service members convicted; 19 sentences of one year or more.
DETAINEE DEATHS
Total Deaths – At least 98 in Iraq, Afghanistan, Guantanamo, as of February.
Homicides – At least 34.
Unknown/Undetermined Causes – At least 48.
Prosecution – Punishment in 14 death cases.