09:10 In Metro. A metro vendor walks up the aisle of the metro car selling a sheet of bandaids. The method is for him to quickly walk to the length of the car tossing a sheet of bandaids into peoples lap. He then returns back down the car and collects 1 LE if one decides to keep them. I keep mine and pay the 1 LE.
9:40 AM. Metro Sadat station is closed and the train doesn't stop – instead goes to Nasser station – to the north. I get out and walk a couple blocks east – passing approximately 10 troop carriers of the Internal Security Forces. Many groups of plain clothes members of the Thug Brigade are in groups of 7 or 8 on the sidewalk.
9:45 AM - Walked length of Talaat Arb taking pictures of movie houses – came to Tahrir square – hundreds of plain clothes police getting themselves pumped up for a busy day.
10:15 AM - Went to Semiramis Hotel for the breakfast buffet. I stayed at this hotel when I first came to Egypt more than 15 years ago.
11:00 AM – Left hotel and walked across Kasr El Nil bridge to Opera center.
11:20 AM- Noted an initial minor deployment of police on road leading to Dokki and at west end of Kasr el Nil bridge.
11:22 AM - toured the Opera center grounds including this sculpture of the muses of the theatre.
12:00 Noon - Walked along the Nile river to the Sonesta Hotel at south tip of Zamalek Island.
The lobby held this flower display overlooking the Nile.
A book of Margo Veillon's work was in the lounge area and was opened to a sketch of the Egyptian stick dance.
12:15 Walked back across the Nile to the east end of Kasr El Nil bridge – walked north along shore of Nile – up to across from Nile Hilton construction site. Returned to Semiramis Hotel.
1:15 PM.- Near east end of Kasr el Nil bridge. – Met a chap named Chris from England – He would be my “wingman” for most of day until the entry into Tahrir Square.
1:25 PM – While near mid point of bridge - the sound of gunshots – actually volleys of tear gas - came from the direction of Dokki on the west side of Zamalek island. East bound traffic on the bridge decreases and stops.
1:30 PM To the north, a large group of people are seen crossing the October 6th bridge from west to east – estimate at 200 – 300. Black uniformed police and Thug Corps were seen climing the stairs at the east of end of bridge to intercept them. Group is stopped.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/6th_October_Bridge
1:35 PM – View to east into Tahrir square shows thick echelons of armoured police in Medan Square. A group of police and thug corps conversed near the east end of Kasr el Nil bridge.
1:50 PM – Small group of people seen running west on October 6 bridge being pursued by Thug Corps.
2:05 PM - The sound of more shots comes from direction of Dokki
2:07 PM. – Tear gas canister streamers are visible over the toward Dokki.
2:30 PM – Large and sustained volleys of tear gas – police retreating eastward towards Kasr el Nil bridge.
2:30 PM – First of protesters reach the west end of bridge.
2:30 PM up to 4:00 PM - A series of back-and-forth tactics employed by the police on the Kasr El Nil bridge. First protesters push east on bridge – troops retreat and then quickly turn and advance behind murderous volleys of tear gas and rubber bullets fired directly into the crowd. Many protestors severely injured.
The first attempt to take the bridge reaches almost to the east end. Protesters stop at mid-bridge for prayers.
Retreat and advance tactics by the police are designed to entrap and injure protesters. A steady stream of injured is carried off the bridge. I am told that others were wounded and killed and taken by the police.
An elderly protester has succumbed to tear gas and is carried away from the front-line.
Throughout the struggle lasting until evening protesters held signs and banners, chanted slogans to maintain their spirits and politely explained why they had to take this action to improve their country.
The edge of conflict between protesters and police was manned in rotating shifts. After a few minutes on the front risking injury and exposure to tear gas, protesters would fall back to rest and be replaced by others.
A steady stream of injured were helped away from the fighting. The protest began as a peaceful march. Protesters did not respond with rocks until having suffered hours of violent assaults from the police.
Massive police reinforcements advanced across the bridge with water cannons.
Picture below was taken by a news photographer on top of Semiramis Hotel and shows west end of bridge as police were pushing protesters back off the bridge.
A sustained Police advance pushes the protesters back towards Dokki – to the west of the opera metro station. Some protestors are pushed south from the west end of Kasr El Nil bridge towards Sonesta Hotel and are able to escape entrapment by breaking gates to cross the garden and link with the main group of protestors closer to Dokki.
4:00 PM. On a stationary southern flank of police line near the West End of the Kasr El Nil Bridge, protesters talk with the police troops explaining why they are protesting. The police were mostly poorly educated conscripts from southern Egypt and they appear somewhat uncomfortable but remain cordial and talk with the protestors.
4:35 PM From the road in the direction of Dokki, the sound of fierce tear gas volleys resume as the protestors start to push back eastward along road from Dokki.
4:40 – 4:50 PM A group of protestors implement a flanking movement – moving south from the road and back through their earlier garden escape route. They move against the southern police flank at the end of Kasr el Nil bridge – threatening to encircle the police still on the road closer towards Dokki.
- 4:58 PM Police push back protesters from the south flank directly into three armoured military troop carriers which appear behind the protestors from near the Sonesta hotel – The military are cheered by protestors who climb up on the vehicles. The soldiers are nervous, some shake hands with the protesters, others wave off protesters.
- 5:02 PM - The military carriers go north to the bridge and pass thru the retreating police line and travel east along the Kasr el Nil bridge. Protesters try to follow but meet heavy fire from security forces as they enter bridge.
The crowd breaks curb stones to make projectiles to throw against the police.
5:21 PM - Crowd gains advantage on bridge
5:23 Fierce shooting starts again – now near the foreign ministry building between the east end of Kasr el Nil bridge.
5:35 PM - Kasr El Nil bridge won – crowd now moving steadily across bridge. Shooting of tear gas volleys slows as police retreat to east side of Tahrir Square.
5:36 PM – Looking from mid-bridge – tear gas volleys still being fired.
5:45 PM - Almost at east end of bridge - crowd is tight
6:00 PM - Inadvertantly involved in conflict when panicked by tear gas inhalation I run toward Semiramis Hotel for water - directly into police group trying to outflank protesters. Other protesters follow me and the police turn and run. Hotel staff pass bottles of water out through the door that was chained partially closed.
Walk around south side of Semiramis hotel – get photos of Simon Bolivar statue enveloped in tear gas in the square– return to front of hotel and then to road leading into Tahrir Square.
6:00 – Tear gas and rubber bullet volleys continuing unabated from direction of Tahrir Square.
6:05 - 4 or 5 Police troop carriers race south on corniche in front of Semiramis Hotel – past a burning police pickup truck near the Shepheards Hotel.
Some protesters rest with the lions at the east end of Kasr El Nil bridge.
6:25 pm – Back and forth assaults in Tahrir square. Police continuing to fire volleys of tear gas directly into crowd.
6:33 PM Molotov attack against security vehicle on east side of Tahrir. Some one tells me thirteen police vehicles have been destroyed so far in Central Cairo.
6:45 PM Police continuing fierce assaults with shotgun birdshot, rubber bullets, and incredible amounts of tear gas against protesters – protesters are fighting back with courage and bravery – not quitting.
7:35 PM - Several military vehicles seen to leave race out of Tahrir – most of crowd cheer – but many still throw rocks.
Victims continue to be carried away from the fighting and tended to by friends. Later I would learn that Police had ordered all hospitals to deny treatment to anyone injured in protests.
7:40 PM - Another military troop carrier races near southwest corner of Mogamma Building from Tahrir with protesters celebrating on top. This is my last photo as my camera battery dies.
7:50 PM Protestors have taken Tahrir square. Hundreds wounded and hurt sitting on curbs and in green areas of the square. Tear gas and rubber bullets still being fired from area of south east corner area of Mogamma.
8:00 PM – Many people starting to move slowly back home – back west over Kasr el Nil bridge.
8:10 PM – Talk to people on Bridge.
8:30 PM - Return to Tahrir Square to see scene again. Tear gas volleys still being shot from police locations near parliament buildings.
8:45 PM Begin walk home – get taxi near Japanese hospital.
8:45 – 9:00 PM Taxi narrowly avoid collisions with other vehicles being driven in a panic. Pick up other passengers to fill taxi. Take car full of people to maadi – I pay everyones’ fare with a 50$ USD telling the others that if US citizens can afford to supply the tear gas – we can afford to pay for the taxi.
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