Egyptian residents in Japan shout slogans during a rally against Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak in Tokyo on Saturday.
© Japan TodayMessage for Mubarak
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Egyptian residents in Japan shout slogans during a rally against Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak in Tokyo on Saturday.
© Japan Today
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WilliB
I see lots of pre-printed signs in English. Did someone ask them who organized this?
MrDog
Yeah, because protesting here will do a lot of good for the situation in Egypt. Especially with your signs in English and Japanese. I bet it's going to be plastered all over Egyptian television...
lovejapan21
It says a lot! The egyption people have had enough of the corruption and dictatorship supported by u know who! Even though they are 1000´s of miles away, egyptions all over the world have one thing in common, and that is to relay the message that they have had enough. They want to be truely free of that tyrant.
Fredster
Sorry but I lost a lot of respect for the people involved in the "uprising" ( don't really know what else to call it ) in Egypt when they started ATTACKING News, Photo & Video crews in Cairo...
It's typical Mob mentality - as soon as they saw that the collective efforts were actually making some headway they broke into different factions, each intent on gaining there own "power, and started turning on their own neighbors and brothers... DESPICABLE & just a good way to waste all the advances they have already made...
The concept that individual neighborhoods have to form their own militias and patrol the streets to protect themselves shows that those doing the protesting aren't reading to take over and lead anything - especially a country that is a CORNERSTONE of the Middle-Easy & Arab worlds...
888naff
" I bet it's going to be plastered all over Egyptian television.."
it will do something as with the other protests around the world not just in Egypt.
Unlike in Eqypt they can not "control" media intimidate the people.
Also for it seems the most proud thick-skinned belligerent leader who thinks he's the be all and end and doing a great job, then embarrassing his world standing around the world also that by itself might have an effect on the poor old leader. old dog that cant learn new tricks.
888naff
@fredster "Sorry but I lost a lot of respect for the people involved in the "uprising" ( don't really know what else to call it ) in Egypt when they started ATTACKING News, Photo & Video crews in Cairo..."
maybe if you paid closer attention to the news you would realise that is not people involved in the uprising.
The ones you talk about are the renta mobs on the side of the leader.
The uprising protestors have been doing no such thing.
Its the pro current leader ones that have started all the violence ( and have been paid to do so), against foreigners, against the uprising protesters by bringing petrol bombs etc..
so "sorry"; better news coverage in your region required or reading required as those above points have been covered extensively in many media outlets i've seen.
vladrin
@Fredster No need to lose respect for the Egyptian protesters, you just need to follow the news more carefully if you plan to pass judgement on others.
Just to clarify the picture: 1- Protesters are not the ones attacking the journalists, why do they need to? After all, their message is reaches the world through these same journalists. The journalists attacks started heavily since Saturday, why you ask? Because the protesters had plans to arrange a multi-million people protest on Friday. As such, pro Husni Mubarak forces started the necessary preparations to shut up the voices, these preparations include: Beating journalists, checking journalists at the hotels that border the Tahreer Square and issuing them orders to leave. Yes, that has happened on Saturday.
2- People started to defend their neighborhoods few days after the uprising since pro Husni Mubarak forces (police in casual clothes) launched attacks on them, why you ask? Because these forces replicate the Tunisian handling of the revolution on their part, basically terrorizing citizens to convince them that they are paying for the revolution at the cost of public peace.
Just to illustrate to readers how low life these pro Husni Mubarak forces, yesterday a diplomatic car was driven into an area crowded by protesters hitting 10-20 people. Later, the US embassy in Egypt reported that they had a diplomatic car stolen earlier. I'm quite sure it's not that protesters are hitting other protesters, more probable is that the Husni Mubarak regime angered by the US reaction to the protests (which include demanding Mubarak to leave), wanted to turn the protesters against the US by doing this stupid move, which is as stupid as all the measures they have taken so far.
Not that I'm against people not reading/following enough on the issue, but I'm against posting baseless judgement on others.
888naff
@fredster "The concept that individual neighborhoods have to form their own militias and patrol the streets to protect themselves shows that those doing the protesting aren't reading to take over and lead anything - especially a country that is a CORNERSTONE of the Middle-Easy & Arab worlds..."
No it doest! again this has been covered extensively too!
Its to do with the corrupt police on the run and off the streets and in addition they on purpose set free the prisoners. They are trying to destabilise the society in the face of this uprisings. Its part of the counter plan against the uprisings
geez read the news or curiously what country are you getting your news reports from?
woundedsamurai1
Yep someone has gone to trouble of printing out placards and handing them out. Good to have an organizer. Also pic could have been taken anywhere (Location data etc has been conveniently stripped out). Also nice tight camera angle.
tclh
In a true democracy ,there is something call " innocent until proven guilty"; how can one be certain that all the bad things out there are all done by Mubarak supporters ? Mind you ,in a democracy,not only protesters have a voice, Mubarak supporters also have one too .
bobbafett
Its not the Mobs. Its Mubaraks henchmen.
bobbafett
anyone who disagrees should Youtube the following but I warn you, Its a horrible, horrible thing to see.
"Egyptian Revolution The diplomatic car that ran over 20 people in cairo"
Fredster
Sorry folks = I did not mean to infuriate anyone with my comments over what I now realize is a very emotional issue for some and I have indeed read most of it and watched quite a bit of the reportage...
Personally I find it hard to believe that 100% of the violence is being done by Government goons and secret police.... & If that is the case then all the good civilized protesters - who would appear to be in the majority - need to do is go home or start coming to the aid of those being assailed...
I think perhaps that people don't seem to know know when they have won the day - they have a concession from the Mubarak camp that he will step down and indeed most Leaders around the world are insisting that he go and do it soon - so there is no lack of International Support for the peaceful protesters and a subsequent change of government...
I seems that - to the people on the ground in Egypt - it's JUST NOT ENOUGH, almost as if they feel that if they don't run Mubarak out of the country TODAY ( ala Tunisia ) that they have failed - - and that just isn't the case...
The longer this "unrest" goes on the easier it will be for those Goons to carry on and wreck everything that has ALREADY been accomplished...
Go home, hug your kinds, feed the dog & do some laundry - - you've already won the day...
gaijinstud
i bet the people they're portesting in front of wouldn't even be able to point to egypt on a map
WilliB
It is amazing how the Western media have bought into the tale that overthrowing an authoritarian but relatively secular regime in an Arab county will bring a moderate democracy and wealth.
Haven`t they learned anything from the epic failures in Iran and Iraq?
There will be so much egg to wipe off their collective faces once the Muslim Brotherhood is in charge and transforms Egypt into another Shariah hellhole.
lostrune2
The Egyptian protestors have to demand the change now because they're afraid to go home. If they go home now after all that's happened and Mubarak is still in charge, they will start to disappear one-by-one in the long 8 months leading up to the election.
Foxie
That was really terrible, bobbafett. It is good that people gather worldwide to protest this regime.
vladrin
@tclh
"How do we know that they are Mubarak supporters?" Well, simple: 1- Few thousands of Mubarak supporters gathered at Tahreer square, attacked protesters with rocks, white weapons (knives, etc.) and molotov cocktails (yes, the hand-made fire bombs). When many of the caught by the protesters and investigated, they appeared to have IDs that clearly show that officially they are what many of us call "policemen".
If you don't understand what means Mubarak police I will give you a simple example that had a year ago. Some police in Cairo arrested a cab driver last year (apparently for a very silly reason). At the police station, the man was beaten and raped. How do we know? Well, they, yes the policemen, posted the video on youtube to make fun of the guy.
Still not convinced "tclh", look at the photo above. The beaten head (in a picture raised by some of the protesters in Japan) is for a guy called Khaled. He was beaten to death, and in the photo you see his beaten death. The police say that his death is caused by swallowing mariguana. Does his bashed head with lost teeth, in the photo you see yourself, give you the impression that he died because of swallowing mariguana. It might be necessary to mention that the case has been run for few months now, and until now no police officer has been charged.
Not enough, about a couple month ago, the Egyptian policemen killed somebody on the street (don't remember his name). How do people know you say? Because the policemen tied victim's beaten body to the police cab, and drove him for about 500 meters in front of tens of people. Was anybody charged you ask? Not yet.
In my region, people follow 3-5 news resources at least 3 hours a days, because it is of a large concern for everyone here. Not to mention, that we here story from Egyptian people who has families in Egypt. So saying that we can't blame Mubarak's innocent people until we have a proof, is baseless, since apparently the only one who needs proof is you in this case.
lostrune2
This Egyptian people power is kinda like the Tea Party movement - they're taking their country back. The Muslim Brotherhood is just a bogeyman that Mubarak uses to scare his people and to get America to keep paying his tabs. Yes, the Muslim Brotherhood is a significant minority, but even the pundits don't believe they're anywhere near enough to win a national election. And this Egyptian people power is across party lines whether Muslims, Christians, secular - they want Mubarak out and more freedom. There's no sense in asking more freedom -like the internet- if it's just going to be restricted by a restrictive Islamist state. No, that's not what the Egyptians are risking their lives for. The Egyptian people are more educated about the ways of the world, know of the power of the internet and its freedom, and has a modern military due to aid from the U.S. - no way the Egyptian people will give those up no matter who is elected.
getsy
Protest like an Egyptian!!!
northlondon
and after their serious political rally about the future of Egypt, they all went back home to their comfortable homes in Tokyo/ Saitama/ Chiba and had tonkatsu for tea...
northlondon
and for balanced impartial reporting, also watch the BBC report showing pro-Mubarak supporters taken away by the opposition mob, bundled into cars, and never heard of again. This is not a one-way argument.
Sarge
What happens if these Islamic Brotherhood wackos take over from Mubarak?
northlondon
Then the pro-Mubarak supporters would also be entitled to bring their country to a standstill because they didn't agree with the government. In turn gaining sympathy from the BBC and from Pres Obama. No?
Sarge
North - If the Islamic Brotherhood wackos take over, Pres Obama will have no choice but to order an invasion of Egypt, lol. Of course he would never do that, so the Egyptians and the rest of the world would just have to deal with them, lol.
888naff
"they have a concession from the Mubarak camp that he will step"
I believe he has said that many times before...hence its not seen as real concession.
888naff
"and for balanced impartial reporting, also watch the BBC report showing pro-Mubarak supporters taken away by the opposition mob, bundled into cars, and never heard of again. This is not a one-way argument."
yep alot of coverage on that and not a surprise is it if look at the background from previous years and the violence created by those groups from the up to then peaceful protests.
northlondon
Sarge, I think you just worked it out. Pres O and Hilary C put pressure on Mubarak to leave. The Islamic Bros take power. The Islamic Bros step out of line, prompting Pres O and Hilary C to move into Egypt and thus take full control of the Suez Ditch. You heard it here first.
Laguna
Neither the US nor any other country has any influence in this situation other than, perhaps, how to orchestrate the endgame. A confluence of history is occurring; it is unstoppable; its results are inevitable. Obama is wise to know that it is better to stay in front of history, for the new Egypt will be much more inclined to deal with a US that eased its birth rather than one that tried to strangle it in its cradle.
Alphaape
I find it interesting that they are here in Japan protesting the government in Egypt, yet it was that same government that let them out so that they can leave Egypt and go to Japan. I wonder, will they really be ready to go back to Egypt if Mubarak is ousted and a more religious vice seculart government is put into power.
I wonder how many Egyptian women will be willing to go back under those conditions that are living here in Japan?
Smorkian
They are wackos... why? Because they are Muslim? We westerners fear anything with a whiff of association with Islam yet don't bat an eye at open concessions to Christian/Jewish thought in western politics.
Smorkian
@WilliB
I see lots in Japanese, too. OF COURSE they are pre-printed, who doesn't own a printer or have access to one?
Who buys into that? What a strawman argument. Many Westerners support people using their voice to protest when normally they cannot. Many other Westerners can't stomach the idea of a democracy producing leaders that don't agree with their ideals.
The neocons are fantastic for this; they love democracy and want to see its spread until the people's choice supports someone/something incompatible with Western ideals. That's why "pro-western" autocrats in the mideast get a free ride from most US politicians. Democracy ain't pretty though, sometimes leaders get elected that make the rest of the world cringe.
Alphaape
QSmorkian: Mubarak is a Muslim also, as are many in his government, and I would assume that the protestors aer Muslim also. So, it is not the fact that the Muslim brotherhood are muslims, but the fat that they are extremist who want to establish a fundamentalist government instead of the secular one Mubarak has now. True, many of the tenets of Islam are practiced in Egypt daily, and itis still more "conservative" in terms of the openness one finds in a non-Muslim nation, but the government doesn't force religion on the populace as the Muslime Brotherhood would.
That is one reason why people in the west are concerned.
tclh
@vladrin; sorry to reply late, it was the scorching heat in Sydney (40+ degree celcius). What I mean is in the chaos situation like this, one side can easily infiltrate the other side and do bad things and put blame on their opponents. They are all Egyptians ,and all speak the same language. Not to mention real thugs, real thieves ..or some people just want to create more chaos.
Smorkian
No, they don't. This is not 1995.