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Egypt: Citizen Videos Manage to Bypass Blockage

Categories: Middle East & North Africa, Egypt, Breaking News, Citizen Media, Film, Politics, Protest

This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011 [1].

Although the internet and mobile phone shutdown during the protests of the past few days have made it harder for people in Egypt to show the  rest of the world what is happening at ground level during the protests, some citizen videos have made it through.

[2]Both these videos show how the riot police back away from the protesters who clearly outnumber them. When added to the unexpected behavior from the army [3]: who has taken the streets when ordered by the government, who didn't seem to enforce the declared curfew and were cheered by the protesters, it seems to imply that the armed forces are not against the people in this struggle.

First, a view of the Kasr Al Nil bridge in Cairo [4], as riot police and protesters meet head on in the middle of the bridge, and tear gas canisters are fired as the armed forces retreat:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VorMWFePpY

And in this next video [5] the same is seen in downtown Cairo at street level, as we get a first person perspective of the moment protesters and riot police clash and it turns into a rout.