Social Science in Egypt and the Middle East

Human Rights Watch release: "Torture continues on anti-war demonstrators" (26 March 2003); "Egypt: Crackdown on Antiwar Protests" (24 March 2003).
Ahram Weekly: two pages on the last demonstrations (27 March 2003).
Cairo Times: "A Loss of Control". (27 March 2003). Also
Ahram Hebdo (in French): about last demonstrations, "la rue en ébullition" (26 March 2003)
The Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights:
Facts and list of arrested people
Islam online (in English): "Egyptian intelligentsia protests Mubarak's policy" (24 March 2003). On same topic, see Cairo Times.
El Shaab online (in Arabic):
Le Monde (in French): interview with Sheikh Tantawy (22 March 2003) and article from Cairo streets (17 March 2003).

ANALYSIS
Asef Bayat in MERIP: The "street" and the political dissent in the Arab World

PORTRAIT
Ashraf El-Bayoumi in Ahram Weekly

Since the Iraki crisis has started few months ago, Egyptian civil organisations regularly have called to demonstrate in the street against the American policy in the Middle East. Demonstrations in Egypt had started in solidarity with the Palestinian Intifada, reaching its peak last April 2002 (See Egypt moves for Palestine). It has "naturally" extended to anti-war demonstrations, in solidarity with both Palestinian and Iraki people.

Reminder: The Emergency Law, re-conducted in March 2003 for three years, forbids public meetings of more than five persons. Despite of that, the Egyptian civil movement -civil associations, anti-globalisation organisation, leftist and islamic-oriented activists, has steadily and peacefully occupied the public scene.

March 2003 demonstration
Thousands of people went down the streets the day the war started, on Thursday 20st of March 2003. Friday next, day of pray, people gathered at Azhar Mosque and moved to Tahrir Square. The movement at first was spontanous and peaceful, despite of thousands of policemen and soldiers. The situation turn violent and uncontrolled, resulting in hundreds of arrested and injured people.

More pictures 2003

March 2004 demonstration
Call for a meeting on Cairo central place, at 1pm. Security policy is more zealous than usual and slogan are more than expressive "we want to go out".

More pictures 2004
AGEG website
(with comments and report in Arabic)