Sunday, January 30, 2011

What's Happening in Egypt?


Events are moving very quickly in Egypt.

The Egyptian government has expelled Al Jazeera.

Al Jazeera coverage has also been blacked out throughout most of the United States.

Fighter jets flew low over Cairo.

However, Al Jazeera just said that the commander of the army tanks in downtown Cairo told protest leader that the army would take no action so long as the protests were peaceful.

Indeed, there are indications that the army may be protecting protesters against police brutality. And see this.

Al Jazeera also interviewed a spokesman for the Muslim Brotherhood, who said that that radical group would support former UN weapons inspector Mohamed ElBaradei as Egyptian leader.

Al Jazeera reports:

Hundreds of judges join the protests in Cairo.

***

Al Jazeera's producer in Egypt says reports are circulating that the country's interior minister has been arrested by the army.

The generals of the Egyptian army met with Mubarak and - according to an unconfirmed report from Malta Today - the generals told Mubarak to quit.

Egyptian newspaper Al Masry Al Youm reports that Egypt's defense minister has joined protesters in Tahrir Square.

And Business Insider writes:

According to Al Jazeera, ElBaradei says he has been in contact with the military, and that he has a mandate to form a new, national unity government immediately.

Separately, Al Jazeera is reporting on emerging fears of a counter-revolution tonight, i.e. the possibility that the government will make one violent, last-ditch attempt to quash protesters once nightful comes to Cairo tonight.

Note: Even president Obama is watching Al Jazeera to find out what's going on in Egypt.

And in an update from yesterday's story, protesters have formed a human wall to protect the Cairo museum from looters.

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