June 6 protest in Alexandria to commemorate the death of Khaled Said

You can read HERE about the plans to protest at Sidi Gaber station in Alexandria, place of employment of the police who openly beat the young man to death last June 6.

If Tunisia was the spark for January 25 in Egypt, Said’s death was what put the firewood on the pile. I noticed a definite change in the mood in Egypt at the time. It was so beyond the pale, so shameless compared to previous standards. It was one thing to hear that this or that is happening in the State Security dungeons, but quite another to have the government brazenly say: “Even though we beat him to death before the eyes of numerous witnesses on the streets of a major city, our two autopsies show that he died from swallowing marijuana while attempting to hide the evidence. We admit that there was blunt force trauma to the head, but this had nothing to do with the cause of death. What a naughty young man.”

What happened after that was that the protestors on the streets were no longer just the professional activists. All kinds of people were on the street to protest what happened to Said, and this is what set the table for January 25, demographically speaking. It wasn’t just a bridge too far, but about five bridges too far. Finally the government decided to throw the two police to the dogs, but it was too late.

If somehow you still haven’t seen the before and after photos, click HERE to see what terrible injuries can be inflicted by “swallowing marijuana.” (Warning: graphic images.)