Mahalla labor leaders banned from entering company compound

Posted on By 3arabawy

I was just on the phone with Ghazl el-Mahalla labor leader Muhammad el-Attar, who told me that security presence was stepped up around the company compound.

He also said he was banned from entering the compound at 7:30am today. “Officer Khaled el-Messiry told me, ‘you specially are not allowed in,'” Attar said. “He said I’ll only be allowed into the factory at the time of my work shift, which starts tonight at 11pm till 7am.”

Attar added that a similar ban is expected to be enforced against other labor activists known to the security services. “They don’t want us to get into the company and speak with other colleagues,” he said. “They are scared we may organize a protest action.”

Textile workers are watching

Posted on By 3arabawy

My labor sources tell me the textile workers in Ghazl Shebeen el-Kom and Kafr el-Dawar “are watching closely what is happening in Mahalla.

There is willingness among the workers, at least those who led the strikes in the two factories last February, to try to mobilize for some form of solidarity action with Mahalla,” if the latter stages a sit-in or goes on strike.

1st anniversary of Cairo Spring

Posted on By 3arabawy

Around that time a year ago, Kefaya activists occupied Abdel Khaleq Tharwat Street, in solidarity with the Egyptian judges fighting for their independence from Mubarak’s executive authorities. The occupation was smashed by the Central Security Forces troops, which descended on downtown. For weeks to follow, thousands of Muslim Brothers and leftist activists were to stage demonstrations, only to be met with the regime’s iron-fist repression.

Photographer and friend Nasser Nouri, together with an army of professional photographers, were unknown soldiers in this battle, by braving with their cameras in the streets, snapping shots of police brutality, street clashes, exposing the Gestapo-style state–supported by the Western governments–Egyptians are living under today. On several occasions, photographers like Nasser were subject to the police wrath, beatings, kidnappings, and had their cameras smashed.

The photo below, taken by Nasser Nouri, provides a glimpse of what Cairo’s Spring was like:

The Judges' Club under Security Siege

[Cairo’s Judges’ Club under security siege, April 2006. Photo by Nasser Nouri.]

Thanks Nasser and  all the brave photographers who still insist on showing up to cover activist events, despite police intimidation.