Egyptian regime attacks demonstrators
2013Andrew Pollack 2013-02Read it in the scan (PDF at ETOL), page 5 →
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SOCIALIST ACTION FEBRUARY 2013 5 The regime headed by President Mo hamed Morsi shot down dozens in pro tests in Egypt at the end of January. All the while it continued to meet with In ternational Monetary Fund officials to dicker over the terms of a promised loan, terms that it knows can only be enforced if militancy in the streets and workplaces is crushed.
The bourgeois opposition gathered in the National Salvation Front (NSF) re acted to the new wave of repression in its typical schizophrenic way: at first endorsing protests against the regime’s undemocratic legal and constitutional moves, then quickly agreeing to talks seeking a compromise with the regime and denouncing the “violence” of youth in the streets, the better to secure accep tance of its compromise offer.
The NSF is composed of several secu lar liberal parties and the April 6 Youth Movement, as well as former Mubarak regime figures. NSF leaders trotted out the myth of the “nonviolence” of the up rising against Mubarak, hoping episodes like the heroic “Battle of the Bridge,” when the youth forced back regime sol diers and cops, will be forgotten.
As has been the case at each cru cial turning point of the revolution, the youth turned out in huge num bers around the country during the anniversary days. Particularly no table was the turnout in the Suez Canal cities of Port Said, Suez, and Ismailia. Port Said even announced its independence from the Morsi regime. Protests there were partic ularly fierce because of the regime’s failure to convict any of the cops or thugs who murdered soccer fans in the city a year ago, instead issuing death sentences to fans supposedly involved.
The importance of these cities rests in the ability of their workers to shut down commerce traveling through the Canal, and in so doing potentially sparking strike action else where in the country. Morsi declared a state of emergency and curfew in the Canal cities, but was forced to backpedal after mass demonstrations openly defied the curfew.
Meanwhile, thousands in Alexandria blocked several main roads as well as public transport. And protesters in Qena, in Upper Egypt, demanded that the Suez Canal not be given up “to any entity,” re (Above) Egyptian President Morsi meets with German Chancellor Merkel, Jan. 30.
flecting fears that the regime would give up control of the Canal to Israel, the U.S.
and/or Qatar, fears which are under standable given the regime’s continued acquiescence in imperialist-run “freetrade zones.”
Meanwhile, a new force has appeared on the scene, the so-called “Black Bloc”
of anarchists. They have appointed themselves “protectors” of the masses in the streets—ignoring the organized selfmarshaling of every mass protest in the last two years. And this offer of “protec tion” is a slur on the amazingly efficient and democratic self-organizing that the youth, women, workers, and hundreds of thousands of unaffiliated individu als participated in while providing food, shelter, and health care, as well as space for democratic decision-making about rally and march logistics and tactics.
The self-appointed and unaccountable Black Bloc has also offered to protect women who are facing unprecedented levels of regime-organized assault and rape. This “offer” is a slap in the face to the amazing defense squads organized by groups such as the Operation AntiSexual Harassment team, which have done a heroic and thoughtful job of com bining defense, rescue, counseling, shel ter, and health care for victims of such attacks.
What’s more, unlike the Black Bloc, these self-organized masses have deep roots in the country’s workplaces, neigh borhoods, campuses, women’s groups, etc. These roots in turn provide the po tential for more structured forms of or ganization—i.e. committees represent ing each workplace, school, residential block, etc.—which can potentially unite on a national level, providing essential venues for the masses to discuss and de cide on their demands and strategy, all as a prelude to an eventual challenge for power. n