Egypt: Al Jazeera Cairo Bureau Shut  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.
Egypt just shut down Al Jazeera's Cairo bureau, drawing outrage online.
This comes after it switched off the Internet, in a bid to stop the world from seeing its people's revolution, where demonstrations against president Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule continue for the sixth day in a row.
People have been glued to their television screens, and online streams of Al Jazeera, to keep abreast of developments on the ground in Egypt, particularly after Egypt shutdown the Internet. The Doha-based network was at the forefront of coverage, with many netizens dedicated to transcribing and tweeting its coverage, around the clock.
In a series of tweets Cairo-based Al Jazeera correspondent Dan Nolan tells us what is happening. His first tweet announces:
Aljazeera Cairo bureau has been shut down. Just visited by plain clothes govt security, TV uplink is now closed #Egypt #Jan 25
and then:
AlJazeera official statement being released soon. Jazeera Arabic service now scrambled in Cairo #Jan 25 #Egypt
The move was met with anger and defiance.
From Saudi Arabia, Essam Al Zamil quips:
And the broadcast continues, at least for the time-being. @evanchill notes:
@evanchill: Yes, Al Jazeera is still broadcasting live despite apparent shutdown order. No one knows who would enforce it. #jan25
And Moroccan Hisham tweets:
Aljazeera announces new satellite frequencies (Nilesat, Arabsat, Hotbird) as its original signal is being scrambled #Jan25
Journalist Mark Lynch stresses:
Al-Jazeera condemns Egypt closure of its office, as should everyone else
And a defiant Dan Nolan tweets:
Don’t worry we’ll still report what’s happening in #Egypt no matter what new restrictions they put on us. #Jan25
Here are more reactions from Facebook:
Parlo BigBlack Francois
Network's licences cancelled and accreditation of staff in Cairo withdrawn by order of information minister.
Egypt shuts down Al Jazeera bureau
Network's licences cancelled and accreditation of staff in Cairo withdrawn by order of information minister.
Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar
In many ways, it is Al Jazeera's moment — not only because of the role it has played, but also because the channel has helped to shape a narrative of popular rage against oppressive American-backed Arab governments (and against Israel) ever since its founding 15 years ago. That narrative has long been implicit in the channel's heavy emphasis on Arab suffering and political crisis, its screaming-match talk shows, even
Darold Higa
Hmm, this is an interesting turn of events…instead of covering the news, now Al Jazeera IS the news…oh the brave new world we live in.
Tarek Elmadany
10.56am: Al Jazeera has just been taken off the air in Egypt, license revoked and offices clamped down on
Abdallah Nada
the revolution will no longer be televised al jazeera shut down in cairo :((
This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.