Wait. We thought they had their whole political situation situated? But apparently, the people of Egypt are no more able to express their disapproval of the government then they were before kicking out that shady Mubarak character. Egypt’s military sought to isolate pro-democracy activists protesting against their rule, depicting them as conspirators and vandals, as troops and protesters clashed for a third straight day, pelting each other with stones near parliament in the heart of the capital. At least 10 protesters have been killed and 441 others wounded in the three days of violence, according to the Health Ministry. Activists say most of the 10 fatalities died of gunshot wounds. The fighting, sparked when troops sought to break up a sit-in outside the Cabinet headquarters, has seen a particularly heavy hand by the military. Military police have been shown in video footage dragging women by the hair, even stripping the shirt off one veiled woman, and ferociously beating, kicking and stomping on protesters cowering on the ground. Still, the protesters’ numbers have remained smaller than earlier rallies — suggesting even anger over the disturbing images was not drawing the broader Egyptian public into a confrontation with the military, which activists behind the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak’s autocratic regime 10 months ago accuse of mismanaging the transition period and committing human rights abuses. In a statement posted on its Facebook page, the ruling military council on Sunday called the clashes part of a “conspiracy” against Egypt. It said its forces had the right to defend the “property of the great people of Egypt.” Seeking to depict the protesters as hooligans — and apparently to counter the widely published images of protesters being beaten — it also posted on the page footage of young men throwing rocks at a basement window of the parliament building and of at least one man trying to set the place ablaze. The ruling generals have taken advantage of the growing frustration of many Egyptians over worsening economic hardships and tenuous security, blaming demonstrations, strikes and sit-ins for their predicament. The tactic, coupled with the military’s efforts to stain the reputation of the youth groups behind Mubarak’s ouster, appears to have worked. The military has been using the state media and loyal private TV stations to project an image of itself as the protector of the nation and filling its public statements with patriotism and grave warnings of a dire future if political turmoil persisted. Protest leaders increasingly complain that they feel isolated in a society that has grown more concerned with making ends meet than political rights. Hunger does seem to be the strongest motivator of them all. Do you think this would ever happen here in the US? Source
