3 febbraio 2011

Un classico

Se, come il sottoscritto, state seguendo lo svilupparsi della situazione in Egitto, vi consiglio di seguire il blog di Sarah Carr, inanities.org (attenzione: ci mette un po' perché ci sono un bel po' d'immagini ad alta risoluzione linkate direttamente nei post). Il suo stile è asciutto e sarcastico, ed è decisamente informata sui fatti, essendo una giornalista di origini britanniche e egiziane. Ho scoperto il suo blog tramite il live feed del Guardian, dove erano mostrate le sue foto dei graffiti e degli slogan anti-Mubarak che hanno ricoperto la città in questi ultimi giorni. Il suo ultimo post, per esempio, spiega chiaramente chi siano i fantomatici contro-dimostranti di oggi:
The use of hired thugs is classic Mubarak. The regime’s relationship with its people has always depended on intimidation and violence, which proved problematic with the wave of demonstrations and labour protests that have been a growing phenomenon since 2003 – acts of public police rage tend to put the tourists off. In 2005 elections young men were paid to sexually assault female protestors. Last year during the trial of two policemen accused of involvement in the death of Khaled Said a rowdy group of teenagers stood outside the courtroom and accused anti-torture protestors of being Israeli spies, before launching missiles at them. During the elections boys in matching t-shirts danced in front of polling stations while burly colleagues intimated voters on behalf of National Democratic Party candidates.

The idea is that these groups of men – who receive a modest daily stipend for their services – can execute regime orders without their actions being directly attributable to them. In the current scenario we are meant to believe that after four days of absolute silence peaceful pro-Mubarak protestors so irrevocably moved by the president’s speech and his promise not to stand for another term decided to organise mass counter protests. And attend these protests on camels and horses. And launch rocks and Molotov cocktails at camping Tahrir protestors whose only act of physical aggression has been against litter in the camp.