Tag: 6 april 2008

Solidarity with Mahalla in SF

Posted on 18/04/200805/02/2021 By 3arabawy

We had a demo today in front of the Egyptian Consulate in San Francisco, to protest the killings in Mahalla and to demand the release of the detainees.

We stood in front of the Consulate for probably an hour and half, with banners in Arabic, Chinese, English and Spanish… We shouted in Arabic and English slogans against Hosni, Gamal, Alaa and Suzi… We also chanted in support of Mahalla, Cairo, Egypt, the detainees, workers, activists…

Two plainclothes security guys from the consulate came out, and took the letter we had. We demanded to either go in and meet the consul himself, or he should come out. The cowards refused, and said they will only allow one person in. We said that’s fine, as long as they allow the press inside also, so as to record whatever was gonna happen, but they refused and ran inside.

So anyways, we continued chanting outside against the Egyptian police butchers. We also chanted calling for the release of detained bloggers.

Thanks to all the comrades who showed up today in front of the consulate for solidarity.. I’m personally very grateful you came, and I can assure you the people back home in Egypt need to see there are human beings in other parts of the world who know what’s going on and who are sympathetic. This boosts our morale, and makes us feel we are not alone in this fight. Dictators are the same everywhere whether they are in the Arab World or the fucking White House. They are from the same breed or species that do not have consideration for anyone or anything but themselves and their pockets. We need to unite against them.

UPDATE: James Buck has some more photos of today’s protest on his flickr account, while my friend Jason has some suggestions for chants in future demos:

Mokhabarat (Mubarak) can’t you see
Mahalla will be free

Mokhabarrat can’t you see
You must set the people (workers, bloggers) free
Mokhabarrat don’t you know
Mubarak has got to go.

Call Mubarak right away,
We are here and here to stay

Yallah Mahalla
El obrero va ganar
Vamos pa’lante
Hasta triunfar

When the workers go on strike,
They deserve their human rights

Up with the people, yeah yeah
Down with Mubarak, boom boom

Mahalla eeeh Mahalla, Mahalla eeeh Mahalla
La macana no nos (los) para, la macana no nos para eeeh Mahalla
Él que lucha hoy – ganará mañana

Keep exposing Hosni and his gang in all languages.

UPDATE: Jack blogs the protest here.

An open letter in support of Mahalla’s workers and community members

Posted on 18/04/200805/02/2021 By 3arabawy

If you are in the Bay Area, please join us today 10am in front of the Egyptian Consulate in San Francisco, to protest the Dictator Mubarak’s atrocities in Mahalla… The consulate is located: 3001 Pacific Avenue (at Baker St.)

To: Abderahman Salaheldin
Consul-General of Egypt in San Francisco
We, the undersigned, are writing to express our grave concern over the recent events centered in Mahalla, Egypt.
In response to their desperate situations, workers and community members have protested to demand better living and working conditions.
We are writing to protest the severe repression of these demonstrations, including the occupation of Mahalla, mass arrests and detention of workers and community members across Egypt, and the shooting and killing of at least two people. Reports of ill treatment and torture of detainees are very disturbing and raise concerns about the violation of basic human rights. Also of great concern is the arrest and detention of foreign and Egyptian journalists.
In order to prevent any further loss of life, and to begin to address the legitimate demands of the Mahalla workers and those who have responded to their actions across Egypt, the Mubarak government must stop this violent repression immediately.
Along with thousands of supporters across the world, we call for immediate release and amnesty for all detainees, and investigations and justice for those injured and killed during the demonstrations and subsequent repression.
Sincerely,

Individual Signatories:
Chen, Jia Ching… University of California, Berkeley
Clinton, Maggie… GSOC-UAW Local 2110, New York City
Damluji, Mona… University of California, Berkeley
Dayaneni, Gopal… Movement Generation, Oakland
Gonzales, AM …Planning for Elders, San Francisco
Goodwin, Owen… Campaign to End the Death Penalty, Oakland
Lin, Thung-Hung… Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Liu, Shaw San… Chinese Progressive Association, San Francisco
Poblet, Maria… St Peter’s Housing Committee, San Francisco
Ryan, Shawna… San Francisco City College
El-Hamalawy, Hossam… University of California, Berkeley
England, Jenna… University of California, Berkeley

Organizational Signatories:
Arab Resource and Organizing Center, San Francisco
Chinese Progressive Association, San Francisco
POWER, San Francisco
SOUL, Oakland
ISO, Oakland

Mahalla Updates

Posted on 17/04/200805/02/2021 By 3arabawy

Police is stalling the release of the Mahalla detainees, including the Ghazl el-Mahalla activists Kamal el-Fayoumi, Kareem el-Beheiry, and Tarek el-Senoussi.

James Buck is also calling on everyone to help free his detained translator Muhammad Maree.

where is mohammed? ask the consul:ATTIYA A. SHAKRAN Press couns.
Tel: (415) 346-3427 attiyashakran@hotmail.comCell (415) 548-0556
— James Buck (@jamesbuck) April 17, 2008

He’s requesting you contact Attiya Shakran, the Press Secretary at the Egyptian Consulate in San Francisco, and demand the release of Muhammad.

Also the Daily News Egypt has some troubling news about Israa.

In Seoul, the South Korean comrades held a protest in solidarity with Mahalla and the Egyptian detainees in front of the Egyptian embassy. Here’s a report from Comrade Kim Yong Wook:

There was a press conference in front of Egypt embassy in South Korea on 16th April to condemn barbaric repression on Mahalah workers’ movement by Egyptian government and to show our solidarity to the workers movement.
40 people, who belong to various organizations including Imagination for International Solidarity, All Together, Korean Democratic Labor Party, Korean Confederation of Trade Union, Friends of Asia, participated in the press conference.
All participants strongly condemned Mubarak who harshly suppressed the protests causing 2 death and arrested 800. The participants also sympathized with the protesters’ demands and read the solidarity letter which conclude with the following slogans:
The Mubarak regime must stop its barbaric repression!
The Mubarak regime must release all detainees!
Victory to the Egyptian anti-dictatorship struggle!
Down with the Mubarak regime!
The embassy didn’t receive the letter.
All participants showed their firm belief that one day the struggle of Egyptian workers and Egyptian pro-democracy movements will prevail, just like the social movements of South Korea did in the past.

Some photos from the protest:

Solidarity with Mahalla Protest in South Korea, Photo courtesy of Kim Yong Wook

And more letters of solidarity from Belgium and Turkey.