sunday's protest

sunday there is going to be a protest here is the email i got from the univesrsity even though everyone has been talking about it already. my class was canceled for this.

"We would like to advise the AUC community that the university will be open and will operate as usual this coming Sunday, April 6, 2008.

As many of you are aware, a general strike has been called by several groups in Egypt and the university is encouraging the AUC community to be aware of the possibility of increased activity in Tahrir Square and to plan accordingly. Foreigners should also be aware that they should avoid getting involved in any demonstrations in any way — it is forbidden by the Egyptian authorities and may be dangerous."

What they (the laborers and workers) are protesting is the rising prices and stagnant wages. Luxury item prices haven't changed but these people aren't buying luxury items. They are buying bread and oil, which have gone up-some even dramatically. Also, there are shops which will buy all the reduced bread which sells at 10 piasters and sell it at 50 piasters so that when the people who have been waiting in line for hours to get bread, find that instead of 10 it is going to cost them 50. This is for families that live on very little money. A police officer here makes about 300 pounds a month, which is barely enough, if not enough to make ends meet-put his kids through school, pay rent, buy food. So these rising prices are really hurting. One interesting note: it is these same police officers which will be in charge of maintaining the protest. Kind of a conflict of interest.

I read an article in my book today Re-Envisioning Egypt that said that Egypt with its social and economic problems today is facing a very similar situation where to that of 1952. 1952 was the revolution by Nasser and the free officers. That overthrew the king with the goal of taking out of power the elites who were disconected from the masses and serving the interests of the people. It sounds like not a whole lot has changed from what I have seen and what other Egyptians have told me. One girl who goes to university who belongs to this upper class said that her bowab (doorman) coming in killing them and eating there food is a very reall possiblity. She said like this (sort of jokingly) but it seemed a very real possiblity that something like this could happen.

Makes you think what is going to happen tomorrow.