7000 of Egypt's Revolutionary Youth Targeted, Beaten, Framed by Armed Forces, Protests Now Banned

Yes, the very same young people who ousted a President in 18 days, and a PM in 5, now find themselves at the booted feet of their former protectors, the Egyptian Army.

During a broadcast of "This American Life," the new regime is exposed for its brutality, its treachery, and its new judiciary, made up of military forces.

According to the story, "Ali" has posted his story and that of many others, on Facebook. It tells the story of how he came to be identified as a "thug" and targeted under that assumption, which is a powerful label in any culture, but especially meaningful in Egypt. The youths who worked hand-in-hand with the Army during the revolution were rounded up, beaten (to attain the thuggish look), and then tried in kangaroo courts broadcast on television. It is strong proof for his story, and apparently, as many as 7000 of his fellows have also been treated in a similar fashion.

www.thisamericanlife.org...

Thuggery is now a punishable, albeit necessarily vague, crime in Egypt:
thedailynewsegypt.com...

It is to make sure revolution will not take root, nor happen again anytime soon.

FYI, the first story on the broadcast is about a gang taking over a Mexican town, and the citizens being happier for it. Unbelievable.

www.amnestyusa.org... (17-year-old now sentenced to death on false charges of "thuggery")

allafrica.com... (The Military Fist)

A story about the government now banning strikes by workers. Some freedom, eh?

news.egypt.com...


www.thedailynewsegypt.com...
New protests against the military now picking off effective supporters of democracy.

Even the US government has to notice now:
www.foreignpolicyi.org...

This is insane!!! I always knew that the Coup d'etat was a bad idea.

Kind of REALLY makes you think there's no hope for humanity or freedom. Oust one corrupt regime and another one fills its place instantly? Obviously the system is the real problem, not whatever criminals happen to be in power.

If anyone has any ideas as to how to empower the populace to stop this kind of corruption, feel free to chime in. And don't just say "guns" because we Americans have them and they aren't doing us any good. I'm thinking something more along the lines of outlawing political commentary in media, putting all government officials and ceos on camera 24/7 viewable by any private citizen, and we can vote any of them out whenever we want.

reply to post by daaskapital


I truly hope those of us on ATS who desire violent overthrow of the government will take note of this. It is typical for any coup, almost without exception, and many of us saw it (feared it) coming.

Most of the protesters are just kids, too. They really saw the Army as heroes, but now are probably going to hate and resist them for life. The police were the brutalizers during the revolution, but now who will stand against corruption?
All part of the plan, imo.

reply to post by Observer99


Thanks for your responses.

One thing Egypt is trying (some parts of the government) is to change to a Constitutional court, rather than a military-based one.

This seems vital to me, in light of the inside information and former intimacy of the Army and the protesters. The attacks, imprisonment, brutal torture, propaganda, and mock trials reek of a simmering hatred. How could the Army have hidden it so well before?

And what other things do they want, if not reform? Just power? Really?

These kids would have idolized them, if this persecution didn't shed light on the military's true attitude and goals.

reply to post by Copperflower


yup, this is just like when the communists took over in russia
the 1st victims of the new regime were the anarchists, who helped them gain power.

Mubarak had been too friendly with Qaddafi and the latter's Great-Man-Made River project which is currently being contaminated with DU "dirty bombs".

yup, and this is what will happen with the armed revolt crowd. they'll just put another set of psychopaths in power and then will be either co-opted or hunted down.


but that's how it is, for those who do not learn the lessons of history.

S&F

reply to post by Copperflower

I truly hope those of us on ATS who desire violent overthrow of the government will take note of this. It is typical for any coup, almost without exception, and many of us saw it (feared it) coming.

No truer words could be spoken on this subject. Those in the U.S. calling for violent overthrow of the U.S. government seem to miss many vital points, among them that the government, technically speaking is us as in us, not U.S.

Another salient point missed by the "lock and load" set is that we have in the U.S. regime change nearly every two and four years, of some form or another. We have peaceful regime changes through an election process. This is not to argue that elections are the preferred method of dealing with usurpation, however. The U.S. is in some mighty trouble, financially and politically speaking. The blame for these troubles belong squarely on the shoulders of the American people, of whom far too many would like to point the fingers to some figurehead scapegoat.

The U.S. does not need pouty little protestors, they do not need trigger happy revolutionaries, they need a populace - well armed to be sure - both in weaponry and intellectually. It is the intellectual disarmament of the American people that has been most dangerous, and the only way to fix that problem is to keep fixing it through an earnest and dedicated effort to re-intellectualize ourselves, every individual on their own at their mightiest and quickest pace.

Once this re-intellectualization takes hold, it is only a matter of time before the American people, one individual at a time, begin to truly and profoundly respect the unalienable rights of all others, and respect the rule of law, which are essentially the same thing.

reply to post by Copperflower


What's the definition of irony?
This story.
Really wish I could add more, but I'm not surprised.

reply to post by Jean Paul Zodeaux


Thanks for all responses on this sad and unsurprising consequence.

The English went through a similar situation with some hired mercenaries centuries back, and look where it got them....taken over by those same mercenaries.

Anytime the people deal from a weak hand, and rely on a stronger one, inevitably it finds its own power irresistible. How I wish things would surprise us once in a while, lol.

But strength would not be able to submit to rule by what it perceives as weakness, i.e., the army knew the people weren't strong enough to resist the police on their own, because the army is who helped them.

Now it uses its power, thinking, who will stop us? We already proved we are strongest in the nation of Egypt, most organized, and for a moment, most popular.

We see how that went, and it alone provides the contrast democracies need to see how blessed, fortunate, and peaceful they really are overall.

No one should have a complaint about that.