The Egyptian military, battling renewed demonstrations in Tahrir Square, have defended their used of force against protesters by comparing themselves to police in the US who are dealing with the Occupy protests.
According to various sources, officials on Egyptian TV have asked why they are being criticised when similar tactics are allegedly being used against peaceful protesters in America.
The comments come in the wake of controversial tactics used by police in a number of US cities. Just in the past week, 84-year-old Dorli Rainey was allegedly pepper-sprayed by police at Occupy Seattle and protesters at UC Davis were pepper-sprayed after police claimed they felt threatened by a bunch of people sitting on the ground.
This makes me sad and laugh at the same time. I imagine that if the United States were a person they would stammer and awkwardly fall silent at this.
Posted by Amelia Zheng | November 20, 2011, 11:46 pmNo they wouldn’t
There is constant gunfire heard in the surounding arreas around that square, last time I checked NYPD has not fired a single live round.
Also, there are now photos emerging of dead people in the streets, last time I checked pepper sprayed Occupy protesters are still bitching, but alive.
Posted by pvtcombine | November 21, 2011, 1:10 amScott Olsen’s still alive, but because of a depressed skull fracture pressing on his brain, caused by a tear gas canister launcher fired at close range by the OPD, he’s going to have to do a lot of speech therapy before he can “bitch” again.
Posted by InternetGuy | November 21, 2011, 1:53 amDo you have a link to any of that?
Posted by JonoLith | November 21, 2011, 2:05 amGoogle it. its easy.
Posted by batman | November 21, 2011, 3:15 pmNot a single live round. Just rubber bullets that put a marine in critical condition in the hospital. Kids from UC Davis were coughing up blood after being pepper sprayed, but no big deal right? That’s what those scumbag protesters deserve, right? Like that old lady they pepper sprayed. I bet she was really asking for it.
You’re scum.
Posted by Sean | November 21, 2011, 2:25 amFuckin’ A.
Posted by Mr. Mojo | November 21, 2011, 6:03 pmI want to see you get sprayed in the face with concentrated capsaicin and not complain
Posted by Washington Irving | November 21, 2011, 3:52 amMultiple children hospitalized, some coughing blood hours after being sprayed. For sitting on the ground.
Posted by Red Raven | November 21, 2011, 5:33 amExcept for the maimings and skull breaking that occurred.
Posted by TTtwister | November 21, 2011, 6:13 amOccupy Oakland? Scott Olsen sound familiar? The Christian right wing typical selective factual bias.
Posted by watcher | November 21, 2011, 9:06 amAlright easy there. Not sure if PVT was trying to dismiss the whole thing or not, BUT there is definitely a distinction to be made.
No, the U.S. is not as bad as Egypt AS OF RIGHT NOW… however that doesn’t excuse what the police have been doing.
The fact that the police have been brutal and that the treatment has been similar is enough. The fact that bodies are piled up in Tahrir means that we still have time to change our course of history (especially since the Egyptians are having some successes despite worse conditions) but it also means that the paths are similar.
We need to recognize both what is similar and what is different for the movement to take hold.
Posted by Antoni | November 21, 2011, 10:57 amLast time I checked, these people also had 1st Amendment Rights and live in the USA. Just because there are no “dead in the streets” doesn’t mean there won’t be if this continues.
Posted by An_American | November 21, 2011, 11:42 amHe’s not a PVT at all he is just some stupid loser that plays alot of military video games. I looked into this clown and stupid he is.
Posted by George C | November 21, 2011, 1:34 pmEr, are the NYPD using torture on these scum protesters? No. Are they dumping their dead bodies in trash cans? No. Get a grip. This is so much left-wing bollocks.
Posted by Tander870 | November 21, 2011, 12:46 am@thander870
do you realize that the statement is being made by egpytians, and not ‘left-wing’ers in the U.S? get a grip on reality!
Posted by getagriptander870 | November 21, 2011, 2:24 am… made by Egyptian the Government, and fully endorsed by every left-wing’er on this forum. Whats your point?
Posted by MyLeftNut | November 21, 2011, 2:42 pmScum protesters? For real?
Posted by nicholi | November 21, 2011, 3:07 amPointing out that the Egyptian Military said this is left-wing bollocks? How so?
Posted by dblagbro | November 21, 2011, 3:16 amIt means that;
You support the Egypt Military’s murder and brutality happening in Cairo, because you justify it by declaring it equal with Occupy WallsSt ‘s clashes with Police. Now they are Equal. All those deaths they never really happened, or is the US Army is killing OWS Protesters? They are equal after all, so which is it?
Posted by MyLeftNut | November 21, 2011, 2:50 pmI can’t read this. At no point in this ridiculous post did you ever form a complete rational thought. This is absolute crap, and your first atrociously written sentence is nothing more than a perversion of truth by associating the two in such a manner. At no point does anyone (neither the author nor the readers) imply that they support the Egyptian Military’s fascist tactics.
They are merely point out the hypocrisy of a government who would condemn other governments for police brutality yet fail to stop such activity on their own soil. You fail to make a point, sir, and you’re obviously morally bankrupt for spinning obvious lies out of a collage of unrelated truths. You are also obviously intellectually suspect for posting under the handle MYLEFTNUT.
Posted by JohnH | November 21, 2011, 6:12 pmYou think anyone to the left of the KKK is left-wing.
Try more meds…
Posted by Seamus Ruah | November 22, 2011, 12:39 amThere’s not really anything left-wing about these dumb statements by the Egyptian government. It has nothing to do with liberal-conservative politics, dude.
Posted by The Dude | November 21, 2011, 3:31 amNo, it is Propaganda Politics. The kind you spout off so well.
Posted by MyLeftNut | November 21, 2011, 3:13 pmYou do realize that this is what the Egyptian military is claiming, not a news outlet.
Posted by letsworkonreading | November 21, 2011, 4:21 amYou do notice, there are 2 Types of people claiming this;
Egyptian Military
and Left-winger’s
No, the Media has not had the bollocks to make such an inane argument although, MSNBC is getting close.
Posted by MyLeftNut | November 21, 2011, 3:16 pmIs anyone surprised that the only people stupid enough to believe the right-wing propaganda are also generally too stupid to employ proper grammar and punctuation?
Posted by Walt | November 21, 2011, 3:49 pmno, they are just shooting marines in the head, and tear gassing 84 year old women.
Posted by Patrick | November 21, 2011, 4:40 amOh phew. for a second there, I forgot that OWS’s DIDN’T agitate and bait the Police. Play with fire….
Posted by MyLeftNut | November 21, 2011, 3:18 pmWait, you’re justifying police tactics like this?
Seriously? You don’t find this kind of behavior unacceptable from a public servant? Where was the provocation? Moreover, you seriously believe that pepper-spraying and pelting unarmed citizens practicing their first amendment rights in the head with tear gas canisters is necessary crowd control because a police officer was “agitate[d] and bait[ed]“? What the hell is wrong with you? I don’t care what end of the spectrum you’re on, there’s no need for that level of force when the assailant is practicing civil disobedience. I suppose you would have had the scum protesters of MLK’s equal rights movement beaten, pepper-sprayed, and shot at with rubber bullets, too. Because damn them for practicing their first amendment rights.
People like you are the reason why I abandoned right-wing politics and cronyism. You spread fear and hatred on an epic scale and justify clearly illegal activity for your own personal interests. You have no sense of sympathy or empathy anymore and because of this, you are driving those of us with a solid moral center out of your political arena in droves. I still align myself with conservative politics and free-market economics, but I will never again do so under the right-wing banner of “personal responsibility (except when we cause global economic collapses)”.
Posted by JohnH | November 21, 2011, 6:35 pmEgypt is left wing? Or does any claim that you don’t agree with just turn into being left wing?
This isn’t a journalist at the wash post saying Egypt is kay cause we’re macing children, this is Egypt themselves justifying what they did.
Get a grip on your arguments before you spread around your second hand information and make people think someone’s trying to say what Egypt is doing is alright.
Posted by Red Raven | November 21, 2011, 5:36 amScum protesters are making a statement about corruption. What’s up with right wing fascists? Corruption an acceptable practice? Just keep your head in the hole and working for your salary. Maybe you’ll even get that retirement package your were promised. It’s obvious that with your lack of insight, you’d serve no better role than working in line.
Posted by watcher | November 21, 2011, 9:11 amThis makes me sad because protesters in the United States want this same thing in NYC, too.
Le Occupy movement tells us they are the only one capable of making ‘fair’ decisions. They have a history of being right, like their communal decision to vote Obama in 2008. But it makes me laugh at the same time because the public support for this Occuscum and their Democrat/Union backers has dried up. A bunch of idiots and Elitists don’t make up the 99%. Its over for them in 2012 and they know it. HAHA
Posted by BerkeleyWhooo | November 21, 2011, 1:01 amThe Occupy movement hasn’t backed any candidates or any party. I don’t know if you are implying the 2012 election being “over for them” means Obama won’t get re-elected, but it’s completely obvious Obama will get re-elected. Have you seen the GOP debates? LMAO
Romney’s the only one with a shot, and he’s a Clinton-democrat more than a conservative. Either way, we’ll have better health care, I suppose. HAHA
Posted by Karie | November 21, 2011, 2:12 amLet me say, respectfully, I don’t think you understand the people that are protesting. They come from diverse backgrounds, varied political beliefs, and in general, constitute a much more dynamic group then what you’ve described here. Many are generally disillusioned with Obama, with Democrats, and with the relationship between Washington and Big Finance. I know I am. As a matter of fact, many who typically define themselves as liberal, left-wing, etc, are favoring a republican candidate, Ron Paul, based on his consistent adherence to his principles, and his stances on topics such as the war, modern finance and legislation, as well as respect for civil liberties.
As for your allegations that the movement is backed by Democrats or the unions, I have never seen anything to indicate that. Truly, the movements happened organically. They’ve even rejected Democratic support at times. The main issue is that the average voter has less voice in policy than they have in a century. They feel that the country doesn’t listen to them anymore, that campaign donations have replaced the ballot.
Statistics show that the average occupy supporter is hardly an idiot, or unemployed, or any of the things people have been saying. I will concede, there is a hippy contingent, but what difference does that make? These are not elitists. These are not idiots. These people are angry. That’s all.
Of course, this is simply my perspective. And it’s rare that I get to hear real, honest opinions from people with views radically different from mine. So, internet person, if you’d like, please respond.
Posted by Chris | November 21, 2011, 2:17 amAww, you’re cute. I’m in the top 10%, although that still makes me part of the 99. I don’t have to worry for food, or medical costs. I’m lucky like that, I suppose. But I can still look at the movement and see it for what it is. You obviously cannot, but maybe that’s because you only tuned in to the radio long enough to get those one liners from Glenn Beck? Again, like I said, too cute. It’s too bad people like you actually get the chance to vote. At that rate, I think my house cat could better manage to educate himself on the issues than you.
Posted by clone5 | November 21, 2011, 2:47 amWow, a bunch of right wing morons in the comments section.
Posted by Luke | November 21, 2011, 5:14 amWell trolled, sir, well trolled.
Posted by TrollAppreciator | November 21, 2011, 5:31 amA few things. The occupy movement didn’t exist when Obama was elected. The alternatives were just as bad for what everyone wants. The campaign promises Obama made were the promises that the OWS is asking for.
The decision was right then, but since the entire system is borked up from within from corporate money (who wouldn’t want to become a millionaire just for putting your name on a piece of paper?) we quickly learned the man we hired for the job filled out his resume with a number of lies. You take away those lies, he was just like the man next to him.
No worse, no better, but that doesn’t mean the republican candidate would have been any better of a choice. If anything, getting a democrat into the office helped prove the worthlessness of the two party system after so long of having it seem like a one party system.
Posted by Red Raven | November 21, 2011, 5:41 amI have far more respect for even the lowliest bum in the Occupy movement than any person who feels they can belittle an entire movement just because they don’t agree with it. If it weren’t for people standing up for what they believe in then we would still be a British colony.
If you feel that you want to live in a police state where getting pepper spray down your throat
http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2011/11/police-force-peaceful-uc-davis-students-to-open-their-mouths-and-then-pepper-spray-down-their-throats.html
skull fractures,
broken ribs
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jesse-kornbluth/the-police-riot-at-berkel_b_1091208.html
and people being accosted for having basic human decency
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2063716/Occupy-Wall-Street-Retired-JUDGE-shoved-wall-threatened-NYPD.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
is what happens when somebody disagrees with what you have to say then that is up to you and your vote. In my opinion I think comparing the police actions in Egypt and the police action here is ridiculous. I would like to see the police over reactions stop before we become like them though.
As for those Occupiers they are more American and far more honorable than any asshole that calls them names from a comfy computer chair.
Posted by Anon | November 21, 2011, 8:41 amUS citizens aren’t keen on double standards.
Posted by Corporatism Blows | November 21, 2011, 1:54 amAll the police brutality in the world couldn’t save Qaddafi, Mubarak, Mussolini, the Soviets or the French nobility.
The US was founded to oppose a corrupt government that pandered to trans national corps like the Bank of England and the British East India Corporation.
Does anybody brag that their grandfather was a thug for Mussolini or do they hide it in shame?
To be a bully boy for bankers is to bring shame to your family for generations to come.
Posted by Angry Voter | November 21, 2011, 2:10 amOK. As much as I don’t think that this was an apt comparison for the Egyptian police force to make, the force being used against the occupy wall street protesors has been, for the most part, unwarranted and unnecessary.The people above me who are calling the protestors “scum” and are blaming the “leftist elite”obviously get their news from a confirmation biased source like FoxNews or the like.Protestors sitting on the ground were pepper-sprayed the other day. Get a grip, seriously.The protestors aren’t a part of the left-right political system that has fallen prey to people who think pragmaticism is a joke, apparently.Although a good amount of them have leftist, liberal-leaning views, a good part of them have views that could be aligned with many libertarians. What they’re protesting is corporate greed.most of them don’t want to get things handed to them. They want to work. And @berkelywhoo, I’m sure that the protestors getting pepper-sprayeddefintely want the police brutality to continue. I’m sure rubber bullets feel great.
Posted by Zachary Perini | November 21, 2011, 2:19 amIs every instance of brutality also seen in the US? No! So obviously we should be like the other commentors and ignore everything, despite numerous previous quotes from our government condemning the use of force back when only pepperspray and non-lethal means were being used in Europe, just like the US now. The point is, we did get after nearly every country in the Middle East when their attacking citizens was restricted to non-lethal means.
Posted by mrfloopa | November 21, 2011, 3:16 amI call bullshit. Citing a twitter post as your source?
Posted by Derp | November 21, 2011, 3:23 am“These scum protesters”. When the tea party protests, do you have a problem with that? Nobody says you need to agree with their reasons for protesting, but if you think they don’t have a right to protest, then please pick up a copy of the US Constitution and read it over again. Being a patriot is not bowing down to your government and defending them when they are wrong. Being a patriot means you have to have the courage to stand up and say, no this is wrong and I’m not going to put up with it. In the US people have a right to peaceably assemble and petition their government. Some time in the future, you may have a reason to protest. What will happen when you do it if these abuses go unchecked? Do you think middle eastern countries got that oppressive overnight? No, there was a gradual erosion of rights until the government could start shooting people and justify it. We are already shooting people with rubber bullets here. If people like you keep defending the abuses of the government, they will soon be using real bullets and then what will you do i wonder? Your view is too narrow minded. You’ve bought into the fear state lock stock and barrel. It’s time to open your mind a bit. Look at the restriction of freedoms in the last 20 years. Now project that 20 years into the future with the same state of erosion. Where will we be? If we had this conversation 10 years ago, and I told you the things happening today would be in our future, you probably would have said I was an idiot and full of it. It’s probably what you’re thinking right now.
Posted by David b | November 21, 2011, 3:36 amIt’s not really “leftist bollocks” unless you claim that the egyptian officials cited there are puppets of the american left wing.
But you are right that nobody in america is dying. We’re seeing excessive and uncalled for police force, but not lethal force.
To the occupy-haters in this thread- I hope you can consider at some point that there is no party with a platform that actually satisfies the desires of the occupy movement (or the tea party movement, really). I think both left and right agree that corruption in washington is out of hand, and that our democracy is in the hand of lobbyists. I think you’d be surprised how little support there is for the democrats (less for the republicans, I’ll grant you) in the OWS movement. The occupy movement isn’t about ending capitalism, or providing free handouts, or any of the strawmen that you might be lead to believe. I think americans of both parties are sick of what’s happening to our country, and feel like there is no option on the ballot that will bring us back to the country we had twenty years ago.
If you really are as disgusted as you sound- I’d ask you to go to an occupation and talk to some people- tell them what has YOU mad. You don’t have to protest or join forces, just engage in open minded dialog. If there’s going to be any real change in the country, it’s going to take conservatives and liberals alike to bring it about, and I think that there’s a lot more common ground than republicans or democrats want you to believe.
Posted by migdig | November 21, 2011, 7:01 amUNFUCKING BELIEVABLE….what a joy it must be to be a brainless cop in AmeriKa these days
Posted by Rand | November 21, 2011, 6:07 pmAll I want to know is when do we start bombing Egypt? Or is it only bad if Gaddafi (allegedly) brutalizes protesters?
Posted by Fred | November 21, 2011, 7:14 pm