“Things are hotting up in Egypt” is
a popular comment I have heard over the past week – and the
commentators are not talking about the weather.
In two weeks time I will be holidaying
in Cairo. I am so excited and despite the media hype and
misinformation abound I am not at all afraid that I will get caught
up in some dangerous situation.
It may seem strange but I can't see
myself walking out of the hotel and being hoisted on to the shoulders
of mad protesters heading to Tahrir square or the US embassy.
Everything I have read seems to point
that there were less than 500 at the US embassy protest on September
11, and that since then there have been no violent clashes. Protests
continue – but protests continue in every country for a variety of
reasons every day.
 |
| Protesters chant slogans amid orange smoke outside the U.S. embassy on September 11.
Photo: Time World http://world.time.com
|
Several cruise ships have altered their
plans to avoid Egypt and the US Government has warned against travel
there. But have they warned against travel to Sydney or Paris? There
are protests there too against the controversial movie.
Remember nobody was killed in the protests in Cario.
Last year I joined (as in went to see)
an austerity protest in Athens during a stop over. Days before and
after buildings had been set on fire, the city was being flashed
around the world as a violent city. But when I was there it was just
a protest – a mass one with thousands of people, angry people –
the city was piling high with rubbish due to strikes - but there was
no violence on the day I was there, just some stink! We also did not
get any hassle from the protesters, one of my friends got interviewed
for Greek TV!
I don't want to join in any protests in
Egypt, but if I get to see one I would find it interesting to see one
from a safe distance. To gauge their level of discontent to get an
idea of the age profile and to try and understand the issue from
their point of view.
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