Army colludes in stooges’ camel charge

As violence escalated in Cairo this evening, it’s very clear that the mayhem has been sanctioned by the Egyptian armed forces and security services.

All eyewitness accounts that have so far come from Tahrir Square have been consistent on one point and that is that the pro-Mubarak mob arrived from
quarters whose approaches had supposedly been sealed off by the army.

Whether you’re reading Al Jazeera, the BBC, the Telegraph or the Guardian, it is clear that agent provocateurs were both planted within the crowd of protesters already in the square as well as being given free reign by the army to attack the protesters, even being given enough freedom to mount a cavalry charge of camel riders against the pro-democracy protesters.

The following anonymous eyewitness account was submitted to the Guardian: “They came into the square and we blocked them peacefully, forming a human line and peacefully pushing them back . A number of thugs had infiltrated behind our human line and all of a sudden 70 people from behind us started running towards us from behind the line and started throwing rocks and stones and picking up pieces of wood from their side.”

Meanwhile, Al Jazeera had this to say: “witnesses said the military allowed thousands of pro-Mubarak supporters, armed with sticks and knives, to enter the square. Opposition groups said Mubarak had sent in thugs to suppress anti-government protests. One of our correspondents said the army seemed to be standing by and facilitating the clashes. Latest reports suggest that the centre of the square is still in control of the protesters, despite the pro-Mubarak supporters gaining ground.”

According to the BBC: “Ibrahim Zadran, co-ordinator of the opposition National Association for Change, told the BBC that some pro-government activists had used firearms and shot 15 protesters.”

Even the Daily Telegraph conceded the existence of clear evidence of collusion between pro-government mobs and the security services.

As the evening wore on, Egyptian state TV was yet again remonstrating with protesters to go home and the Egyptian health ministry is saying one person has been killed in Tahrir Square today and 403 injured. There are also al-Jazeera reports that the military in Tahrir is now trying to enforce the curfew telling people to go inside and take cover.

For TRWS, the last word goes to figurehead of the protest movement, Mohamed ElBaradei: "Our determination not to hold negotiations with the government until Mubarak leaves has only been strengthened today. First of all this is not a negotiation – we the people have legitimate demands and we would like to tell the government what to do. Our freedom is not up for negotiation. Secondly how can you negotiate with a regime that is killing its people?"