By John Ballard
Okay, then. Updates first. Scroll down to see the pictures and Twitter messages that prompted this post, which turns out to be more sound and fury than meaningful content.
Thanks to Issandr El Amrani aka The Arabist,for these links by himself and a couple other writers putting into context what seems to be more local drama than a widespread undercurrent of Egyptian extremism. The principal actors in this weekend's protest are mostly a subset of a group tagged the "Ultras." They are animated more by sports activities than politics. Whatever political awareness they have falls somewhere between anarchy and primitive super-patriotism. Scanning these comments, looking for a socio-political American analogue, the best I could imagine is what we might call jocks and/or frat boys. (A Tea Party mindset -- isolationist, anti-whatever, indignant, misdirected frustration -- may also be at work, but American Tea Party types are not overtly violent. Yet.)
This video (Thanks, Sarrah) captures the action, which should not to be trivialized.
Remember, several fatalities and over a thousand injuries have been reported.
But these events, dramatic though they were, do not rise to the level of international significance initially feared.
?(ADDED THREE DAYS LATER...) Egypt�s Soccer �Ultras� by Ursula Lindsey
A followup via PRI's The World. Check out the videos.
?On the Israeli embassy incident by Issandr El Amrani
(More at the link, but these are his main points.)
...what happened: yesterday there were multiple protests in Cairo, starting with one of several tens of thousands who called for an end to military tribunals, greater judicial independence, a better electoral law and other measures. The protest also was against Israel, for the recent killing of six Egyptian border guards. Some of these protestors went to the Israeli embassy, and this ended with a confrontation with police and military and, for the first time in the history of protests against the Israeli embassy, a break-in in what was probably the non-secure portion of its offices.
A few points:
- The construction of a wall outside the embassy was almost a provocation to people to come and bring it down. The symbolism of a wall was not lost on any one and merely angered people.
- The Turkish decision to downscale relations with Israel also caused a surge in national sentiment.
- The SCAF's handling of the border shootings leaves much to be desired, notably because of inconsistent statements.
- Israel's failure to make a clear, unambiguous apology for the shootings was really stupid but typically arrogant � another sign that Israel is slow to adapt to the new regional mood. But Egyptian anger is understandable: imagine if Mexico killed US border guards.
- The attack on the embassy took place in a general atmosphere of distrust of the SCAF in its handling of both domestic and foreign affairs, mounting anxiety about Egypt's transition, and incompetent and unclear leadership. I sincerely doubt it would have taken place if Nabil al-Arabi was still foreign minister.
- There are important details about the attack: it took place a few days after clashes between football fans and the police, leading to many of these Ultras both angry at the authorities and afraid that they might be arrested. The Ultras' role in penetrating the embassy was probably crucial, because they are determined and fearless (and it's important to note that in previous protests there was more restraint; it probably would have ended up with just the wall being torn down, which would have been quite satisfying in itself.)
- The SCAF's failure to prevent the intrusion into the embassy proper is flabbergasting.
?Ultras & the revolution by Ursula Lindsey
...Young, energetic, overwhelmingly male crowds were also busy knocking down the recently erected protective wall around the Israeli Embassy and reportedly removing the large eagle motif and most of the letters from the wall of the Ministry of Interior, leaving anti-army and anti-police graffiti in its place.
A lot of these young men were reportedly football ultras. These obsessive and aggressive fans -- who have experience clashing with the police -- were also at the vanguard of a lot of the revolution's fighting.
[For a colorful and interesting look at the deails go to the link. She has done workmanlike reporting of what happened which, it turns out, has little to do with international politics and a lot to do with maintaining (or NOT) local order. She concludes with the following lines...]
In the end, most of the ultras' violent energy got focused on the Israeli Embassy yesterday. Which seems pretty convenient for the authorities (although now, as diplomatic and political repercussions make themselves felt, they may think so less). If the embassy hadn't been there, what might they have torn down?
?More on Ultras, the Embassy, and the Friday of Not-Exactly-Putting-the-Revolution-Back-on-Track by Steve Negus
I love this post title. It says it all. Again, there are more details at the link, but here are his main points.
The only surprising thing about the breach of the Israeli embassy in Cairo is that it never happened any time before in the past 30 years. In a city that abounds in isolated walled desert compounds, someone decided to put the most often marched-upon facility in Egypt in a quite ordinary apartment building in the heart of the city, whose defenses basically consist of however much force the security services/army choose to deploy on the street that particular day. Throughout the 1990s, at least once a year, students from nearby Cairo University staged a half-hearted attempt to storm the place. The hardcore "Ultra" football club fans who seemed to be a major contingent of yesterday's crowd may simply have been more persistant than your usual Cairo demonstrators -- partially because the self-styled "commandos of the revolution" (whose subculture is described by Ursula [above]) are used to fighting with police, and partially because they claimed to have one of their own dead to avenge, supposedly killed on Tuesday night post-match battle between Ahly club fans and police on Saleh Salem Road that started when police charged the stands in response to taunting chants.
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Ultra claims of victimhood wear a bit thin when it's pretty clear that a good number of them come to matches revved up for confrontation. On the other hand, from what I have heard, police at matches tend to treat all working-class fans as though they were riot-minded animals, so the Ultra who do want to fight the cops have a pretty good pool of resentment and humiliation to draw upon. I wasn't at the scene in Giza, so I don't know what caused the escalation of violence that has led to three deaths (at least one of a heart attack) and over 1000 injuries. But it seems pretty clear that what was unique about post-January Tahrir -- a mass, non-violent occupation of a public square -- got mixed up on Friday with some much older patterns of Cairo street conflict (Ultras vs cops, and marches on the Israeli embassy) and because the older patterns tend to be violent, they trump Tahrir in the news.*
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...in general, I think that this Friday ought to be yet another wake-up call to the revolutionary movement that if they want to have a lasting impact, they need to start thinking a little less about the streets and a little more about the ballot box. Also, someone needs to find another place to put the Israeli embassy.
~~~~~~~~~~***ORIGINAL POST FOLLOWS***~~~~~~~~~~
Last night's Twitter timeline made sad reading as anguished messages came in from accounts I follow dismayed at this recent turn of events.
@AmrElGabryThose breaking into #IsraelEmbassy do not represent me, they represent stupidity... and others
@Le_Cuckoo: SCAF is going to use the #israeliembassy's storming as an excuse for an extremely harsh crackdown
@lisang Exacty. Wake up!
@lisang So yeah, what happened to that heavy army & police presence at the embassy? Think they kinda left on purpose, maybe?
@beirutwhat Re. Israeli Embassy in Cairo. SCAF will show video in every western capital to justify their control over politics.
@adamakary 187 people wounded #israelembassy #egypt (This number was later reported much larger.)
@Firas_Atraqchi: Taking over an embassy can be taken as an act of war. Is #Egypt ready for military confrontation?
@MiniaturePerson Adrenaline junkies at the Israeli Embassy. They're not heroes, just a bunch of fucking adrenaline junkies.
@blakehounshell The near storming of the Israeli Embassy tonight will sour a lot of people on the Egyptian Revolution. Fallout unclear.
@MahirZeynalov Israeli ambassador, family, staff in Cairo airport. While Turkish gov't expelled Israeli ambassador, Egyptian people did it this time.
@JamalDajani #Israel chartered flight for ambassador
@acarvin: AP: Egyptian airport officials say Israeli ambassador waiting for military plane to leave country.
@acarvin Ok the ambassador is now out of #Eygpt. Did that solve the problems? Eygpt is still run by SCAF and Palastine is not back
@CarlosLatuff Egyptians did what SCAF was afraid of. They addressed a clear message to #Israel: YOU ARE NOT WELCOME IN #EGYPT
@ENadia I'm going to sleep. I hope I wake up and this shit is over and we're back to a normal Cairo. I'm absolutely sick of idiots.
@ahmed: AJA reporter: some protesters were using what looks like molotov cocktails.
@acarvin Also, someone on the ground tweeted that he was asked to borrow a lighter, the man subsequently lit his molotov and threw it
I see no reason to elaborate. Clearly the Egyptian Twitterverse is crowded with smart, principled revolutionary types who, despite their dedication and willingness to push the envelope during demonstrations, frown on violence and mob actions.
It's too soon to speculate what the fallout of last night's may bring. A couple of facts are clear. Israel, never popular in the neighborhood, now confront open hostility from both Turkey and Egypt, both formerly importatant parts of a diplomatic safety net. And within Egypt there is a dramatic gulf dividing the players making headlines and those taking part in last night's mob violence.
In the absence of analytical commentary, onlookers can only look at pictures to grasp the depth of rage and frustration that erupted.
Here is a link to a gallery of photos showing what happened last night.
I doubt Joseph Dana was there, but his Twitter message was the link.
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