I have a friend in the suburbs of Cairo.

[MinneapolisMatt]

I thought I'd pass along her messages (she's fine with it).

Hello,
I'm here. I can't believe Internet is back.
Days are very difficult here. A lot of tension, a lot of insecurity, I'm exhausted psychologically, my mood oscillating between high hopes and low state but I'm okay with my family.
Will the new era come peacefully? As I saw people fight in the street earlier from my balcony, I doubt it.
I'll check in whenever I can.

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After the events yesterday, my mood is down at the moment.
The situation is becoming more and more confusing everyday!
The days seem to pass very slowly as I go out only when necessary (emergency meets at work or purchasing some goods). I spend the rest of the day watching news through satellite (Egyptian or other Arabic or French channels) or taking care of my 2 kids who are “locked” in the flat since last Friday –except for a 1 hour walk on Monday- and getting very agitated. It is not easy to have peaceful sleep at night as although there is no direct threat until now, we all feel very tense.
Our banks are closed and it is difficult to get any money cash these days (most people couldn’t get their wages for the month of January). Fortunately I have cash with me as I listened to a well advised friend who had warned me to keep money just in case!
On Friday, there was the continuous move of police vans and trucks. We noticed that the cell phones lines had been cut off and the Internet was down. In our suburb at the end of the day there had been many demonstrations resulting in the burning of several police stations that are the symbol of the authority here.
Saturday was the day in which the police mysteriously disappeared from the city. There is a jail a few km away from our block and we had the news that there had been a massive escape from prisoners there (and in some other jails). Many supermarkets and houses were being sacked or robbed by gangs of thieves who knew that there was no police anymore in the city. The chief of the army made a declaration stating that we would have to defend ourselves by ourselves to protect our houses in the absence of the police! Just before the curfew, the people of the neighborhood gathered and with very rudimentary weapons (mostly sticks and kitchen knives) decided to take turns by groups to protect their houses. They built roadblocks with stones, pavement or metal pieces to be able to check any car passing in the street.
At night there were many gunshots and at one point tanks from the army entered the street and began to fire blank shots as a warning. I felt a little panic as I had never experienced this type of situation before (and I was ignoring that they were blank shots at that point.) Fortunately my husband was down in the street with the other men and was giving me news every once in a while.
The police came back 2 days ago as if nothing had happened at all and though they are present, people don’t trust them and keep staying up at night to protect their houses.
Many of the supermarkets have been closed or have been sacked and the remaining ones have been very crowded and almost empty of goods –well until today as I was told that the situation was a bit better- The stores in general are closed by fear of sacking until the situation gets clearer.
On Tuesday, there had been a big hope with the peaceful “million “ march and many thought that we were heading in a good direction but then it got ruined by the violent agressions on demonstrators yesterday. I’m quite worried about tomorrow’s ultimatum. Will the dremonstrators be able to stay peaceful after what has happened to them? Will the army do an effort to prevent their opponents from entering with weapons like it happened? I feel the answer is no but I want to hold hope for the best.

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It seems that the strategy of decaying used by the gvt is paying off very well.
The demonstrations today are also massive and peaceful but everyone stays on its position and there is no progress on any front.
Gvt hopes that people will get tired of the demonstrations and it works indeed : the few people that I have spoken to today told me that it was enough like that, their lives had been turned upside down enough because of the demonstrators (no internet for a few days, no police, no money, etc.).. Really? Who ordered to cut off the Internet? Who let the police disappear? Who let the city so unsafe that banks are now closed and so are most stores and people are now frightened?
I am not even mentioning the people who blame it all on the foreign countries (oh yeah you know the BIG conspiracy theory of the evil axis between USA-Israel-Iran!!!-Palestine and some other countries who have vowed to destroy Egypt!!!)
Tonight I feel very relieved that until now there hasn't been any blood bath but I have a bitter taste in my mouth about what I have heard...


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Take it as you will. She's a dear friend of mine, and these were posted on an "off-topic" section of a non-political message board.

[BeFree]

1. They have a real chance for change

I hope and pray they overcome the state. I think they will. It is inevitable.

[peace13]

2. Thank you for posting this. n/t