Day 5 (cont): CODE RED - Cairo is turning into Gotham...

1:30pm

THE COUNTRY HAS GONE TO CODE RED

Spoke with Tanya. the graduate assistant for our study abroad program: Demonstrations were more widespread than anyone realized or reported last night; streets are trashed everywhere; riots are expected to be massive tonight… Study Abroad office is seriously considering evacuating students tomorrow to France, we may have to leave as early as tomorrow morning; there’s no way we can continue to run a program in a country with no functional government, let alone we can’t even keep up with the risks in the streets etc… be prepared to leave as soon as possible; you can ask people to pack up your stuff in the dorms if you wish; main priority is to get the other students back from Dahab safely – which is looking less and less likely right now because the roads in Sinai are considered “unsafe to travel” – and they may have to evacuate them straight from Sinai in the worst scenario

  

Medhat Said, whom I met last year at the Egyptian Geological Museum, called to make sure that I am ok, and offered to come get me from Dokki. Bless his heart. I was so happy and relieved to hear from him. I had been thinking of him and his family this week and hoping they are all ok, and thank God, they are. I told him I will most likely be evacuated to Paris. He said he is sorry that circumstances had to come to this, and that we will not see each other this time around, but he knows we will meet again when I return to Egypt. Bless his heart. I will call him again to let him know I’m ok in the next few days.

Talked to Yomna, my eleven-year-old cousin; told her I may have to leave the country, she just hopes that I can return for her birthday; She’s watching Nickelodeon cause she’s on holiday; Probably for the best, she shouldn’t see these images of bloodied deceased protestors; Yes Yomna, go be eleven years old, and I will see you again when I can…

Ibrahim, one of my older cousins, called and warned me that the police, in their last vengeance against the people, perhaps in an attempt to intimidate everyone to make them beg to have the police back, have set loose convicts and convicted felons from prison and armed them with weapons from the police headquarters (which have all been set aflame) and told them to loot stores and terrorize the streets. THE POLICE ARE LETTING CRIMINALS LOOSE AND TELLING THEM TO CAUSE CHAOS????? THEY’RE TURNING CAIRO INTO GOTHAM!!!!

Day 5 (cont): When Obama's 'disappointed,' you know he means business; New role models of peaceful protest

When Obama says ‘highly disappointed’ you know he means business. Everyone always kids him for understating his emotions and always being so composed. He’s like the parent that you’re terrified to disappoint because one stern look is worse than amputation.

The headlines on CNN are so heartening…

‘Protesters calling for Hosni Mubarak to go.’

‘Headquarters of ruling party set ablaze in Cairo’

‘Sr. Obama official: Mubarak speech highly disappointing’

‘Obama calls on Egyptian authorities to refrain from violence.’

‘Mubarak: “We need to build on what we already have”; “I will protect Egypt”’ – My God, the man is completely delusional – ‘Says he will appoint a new government Saturday’ – This should be interesting…

‘Obama: All governments need to maintain power by consent’; ‘Violence will not address the grievances of the Egyptian people’

‘Obama calls on Egypt to restore Internet, phone service’

‘Crude oil rises more than 4% on concerns about the Middle East’ – figures…

10:20am

Called the Dokki apartments to check on them; everyone is fine and at home, Sara Abou Bakr called Aleia  on her cell phone – HUZZAH WE HAVE CELL PHONE SERVICE AGAIN!!!!!! – to tell them to stay at home today because the protests will resume soon.

Hopefully the internet will be restored before long…  I CAN’T WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will feel like I have oxygen again after suffocating for 36 hours…

11:00am

The CNN reporter is commenting that he has never seen anything like this in his life: civilians protesting right in front of the military, and the military allowing them to express themselves peacefully… people from all walks of life are in the streets…

- He is totally right; I remember Dad telling me before I came here that even though it’s government is terrible, Egypt is a stable and safe country and he wouldn’t expect anything to happen there – remarkably, even in light of this week’s events, in fact, especially in light of them, THIS IS STILL TRUE. Now all over the world, Egyptians are being regarded as heroes, martyrs, role models of forceful but peaceful anti-government protest.

A man in the street on a video is saying that military come from the same people that are protesting and calling for reform; The Egyptians are remaining peaceful and asking each other not to throw rocks, and they are actually saying they feel sorry for the families of the policemen because they are just doing their jobs and they are trapped too…

CNN acknowledges that this is a “historic upheaval in Egypt”