Egypt: Away from the Press, Netizens Report a Massacre in Kharga  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.
With all eyes on Tahrir Square, the epicentre for pro-democracy protests now on their 16th day, a tragedy has been unfolding in Kharga, Al Wadi el Gedid, away from the prying eyes of the Press and international observers.
Reports of protests being brutally put down by the security forces using live ammunition and excessive tear gas, and government-paid thugs released from prison to terrorise people and destroy property, are making the rounds online, as information slowly seeps from Kharga, “a large urban centre in the ancient oasis south of Egypt's Western Desert – a repository of monuments of Pharaohic and Christian era.”
Different reports are being circulated on the number of those killed and injured in the two days of clashes – yesterday and today.
On Twitter, Salma Hegab collects updates a friend had posted on Facebook all day yesterday and shares them here:
المتظاهرون يضرمون النيران في مبني الحزب الوطني ويتوجهون الان الي مبني النيايبه الاداريه و الامن يقوم بالقاء القنابل المسيله للدموع …..انتظروا فيديوهات حية للنظام الفاسد بس ادعولي ارجع البيت سليم
7 hours ago
انباء عن اختناق طفله تبلغ من العمر 3 سنوات نتيجة القاء الامن العشوائي للقنابل المسيله علي المنازل المجاوره للنيابة الاداريه بداعي تخفي المتظاهرين و مئات الشباب يرددون هتافا واحدا ” الشعب يريد خلع الرئيس …..الوادي الجديد تتحول الي مدينه السويس التانيه يا رب استر
7 hours ago
سقوط اثنين من المتظاهرين امام عيني نتيجة طقات ناريه مباشره في العينين والمخ والامن يطلق الرصاص الحي بوحشيه علي المتظاهرين والمنازل بلا استثناء …انتظروا ابشع الصور والفيديوهات للمجزره التي تشهدها الوادي حاليا
6 hours ago
ثورة ثورة حتي النصر …..ثورة في كل شوارع مصر…..حسبي الله ونعم الوكيل
6 hours ago
شباب من فضلكم …..عايز رقم اي قنوات فضائيه بسررررررررررعه الامور تزداد سوءا و الامن يقوم بسحل المتظاهرين و بلطجية الامن ينتشروا في كل مكان …..عدد الشهداء يرتفع الي ثمانيه وعشرات المصابين بحالات حرجه يصارعون من الموت الان …..من فضلكم اي حد يشوف الكلام ده يقولي علي رقم اي قناه ارجوكم
4 hours ago
يا ولاد الكلب يا ولاد الكلب ……الشرطه تحاول الان فتح معتقل الوادي الجديد مما ينذر بوقوع كارثة حقيقه …… السنة الهب تتصاعد من كل ارجاء المحافظة وارتفاع عدد الضحايا بشكل مخيف و دماء الشهداء تغسل ارض الوادي ال
3 hours ago
الامن يلجأ الي قطع الكهرباء في كل شوارع المحافظه وحرب الشوارع تبلغ اشدها الان بين المتظاهرين و بلطجية الامن وتم التأكد من اضرام النيران في مبني المحافظه و اطمنوا انا دلوقتي متخفي فوق احدي العمارات و رجال الامن يقومون باعتقال العشرات من الشباب بطريقه عشوائيه و بيتم اقتيادهم بسيارات مجهوله الي اماكن غير معلومه
2 hours ago
عملوها ولاد الكلب …الشرطه تستعين الان ببلطجية معتقل الوادي وتم التحفظ علي المعتقلين السياسين فقط ….الجدير بالذكر ان معتقل الوادي هو اكبر معتقل سياسي في الشرق الاوسط وهو مبني تحت الارض وعرضت الولايات المتحدة قيما خيالية لشراء تلك المعتقل لكن السلطات المصريه رفضت ذلك …والان اشتعلت النيران في بنزينه وسط حي الثانويه مما ينذر بوقوع كارثه انسانيه بعد قليل …يارب سترك
about an hour ago
استماته غير طبيعيه لسكان و اهالي حي الثانويه لاخماد نار البنزينه المشتعلة قبل تفجيرها الان
about an hour ago
بشيئ اشبه بالمعجزه شباب ورجال واطفال حي الثانويه تمكنوا من اطفاء النيران بالبنزينه بالجرادل المليئه بالرمال فقط لان الكارثه اللي لسه عارفها ان المياه مقطوعه عن الوادي الان ……هاتروحوا من ربنا فين يا ولاد !!!!
about an hour ago
انباء مؤكده توجهه الان عدد كبير من بلطجية الامن نحو متحف الاثار استعدادا لاقتحامه واضرام النيران فيه و الان مئات الشباب يحاولون تجميع نفسهم مره اخري بميدان البساتين لمواجهه هؤلاء البلطجيه والشباب يقوم الان بصنع اعداد هائله من قنابل المولوتوف لمفاجأة البلطجيه
44 minutes ago
شباب الوادي يجدوا صعوبه بالغه في تجميع انفسهم بسبب الظلام الدامس في الشوارع نتيجة قطع الكهرباء عن الشوارع وللاسف لم استطيع حصر عدد المعتقلين حتي الان واستمرار تصاعد السنه النيران من كل ارجاء المحافظه
35 minutes ago
للاسف انا مش هاروح …انا اخترت طريق و لازم اكمله,,,بس كان نفسي اشوف امي كان نفسي….. و كمان الموبيل هيفصل شحن :(“
27 minutes ago
Al Wadi el Gedid is on fire for the first time in its history.. bloody clashes between protesters and the police…the initial toll shows serious casualties  among the protesters and two have been transferred to the Assiut Military Hospital. A police van was set on fire, and the Higher COurt was burned. The families of the victims warn of bigger protests .. wait for the exclusive videos and photographs
7 hours ago:
The protesters start a fire in the National Democratic Party building and are now moving to the Public Prosecutor's administrative building. The security forces are attacking with tear gas.. wait for the videos which show this corrupt regime. Just pray that I return home safe
7 hours ago:
News about the suffocation of a three-year-old girl because of the indiscriminate firing of tear gas on the houses next to the Public Prosecutor's building under the pretext that the protesters are hiding in them. Hundreds of young men are chanting: “The people want to oust the president” … the Wadi el Gedid has become the new Suez. May God have mercy
6 hours ago:
Two protesters killed in front of me as a result of direct gun shots in the eyes and brain. The security forces are using live ammunition in a brutal manner, on the protesters and the houses, indiscriminately.. Wait for the most horrific photographs and videos from the massacre that is witnessed by El Wadi now
6 hours ago:
Revolution… revolution until victory! Revolution in all the streets of Egypt ..
4 hours ago:
I need the number of any satellite television station quick.. the situation is getting worse, and the security forces are wiping out the protesters. The security thugs are everywhere. The number of martyrs increases to eight – and there are dozens of injured, fighting death, now. Please, whoever reads this, give me the number of any channel, please
3 hours ago:
You sons of dogs! The police are trying to open the Wadi El Gedid prison, which spells the beginning of a real catastrophe. The fires are rising all over the district and the number of victims is increasing in a scary way. The blood of martyrs is washing the streets of the Wadi
2 hours ago:
The security cuts off electricity from all the streets in the district. Street warfare is intense between the protesters and the security thugs. I can confirm that the Governorate building is on fire. Do not worry about me. I am hiding on the roof of a building and the security forces are arresting scores of youth haphazardly. They are taken in unmarked cars to unknown places
about one hour ago:
The sons of dogs did it. The police are now utilising the services of the Al Wadi prison thugs. They have kept the political prisoners behind bars. It is noteworthy that the prison is the largest political prison in the Middle East. The building is underground. The US has offered an astronomical figure to buy that prison but the Egyptian authorities refused. A fire just started in petrol station, in the centre of the Thanawiya neighbourhood, which could be the start of a human catastrophe soon. May God have mercy
about an hour ago:
The residents are working hard to put off the fire in the petrol station before it explodes
about an hour ago:
In what could only be a miracle, the youth, men and children of the Thanawiya neighbourhood have been able to extinguish the fire in the petrol station using bucketfuls of sand. The tragedy I just discovered is that they cut off the water in the Wadi. Where will you go (from the punishment) of God?
44 minutes ago:
Confirmed news that a large number of thugs are now going towards the Antiques Museum to break into it and set it on fire. Hundreds of youth are regrouping themselves to go and confront the thugs. The youth are preparing a large number of molotov bombs to surprise them
35 minutes ago:
The youth are finding it difficult to regroup because of the darkness on the streets after the electricity was cut off. Unfortunately I was not able to tally the number of those arrested. The flames of fires continue to rise across the district
27 minutes ago:
Unfortunately I will not go. I have chosen a path I must complete. I wanted to see my mother. I had hoped to see her. Also, my phone is running out of charge.
Following are reactions from Twitter, as the tragedy comes to light:
@monasosh: clashes bt ppl & police in Kharga new valley, police opened fire, 3 dead & more than 100 injured #Jan25
@evanchill: In Kharga, al-Wadi al-Gadid province, today: 3 dead, 100 wounded. Security back to killing, just not in Cairo. http://ow.ly/3T6Y6
@AzizaSami: Kharga Oasis in #Egypt now rising in political revolt-the first time in its history since z days of z Pharaohs #Jan25 #Mubarak Fallen
@AzizaSami: @JustAmira The assaults on people in #Kharga r unprecedented,&people there fear a massacre by police members there tonite. #Egypt @amnesty
@AzizaSami: @JustAmira Kharga:a large urban centre in ancient oasis south of#Egypt's Western Desert:repository of monuments of Pharaonic&Christian era
@gbabiker: @ssirgany @kalnaga #25Jan #Egypt #Jan25 #Cairo #Tahrir: They are killing people and trashing the museum in #Oasis El Kharga…
@hebalsherif: Frantic caller on AJA form Kharga calling on Hawas to protect museum of antiquities, fearing lack of security could result in easy break in
@sultanalqassemi: AFP: Three dead, 100 wounded in clashes in south Egypt town of El Kharga (400km/240miles south of Cairo, Pop ~65,000) http://bit.ly/hFY7vy
@JazzCorroboree: Is this the promised transition to democracy?#Mubarak#Kharga#Egypt#Jan25
@Jnoubiyeh: Medics in #Kharga say that many protesters have sustained severe injuries and the death toll is expected to rise. #Jan25 #Egypt #Mubarak
UPDATE: Hossam El Hamalawy uploaded a video, with a report from Press TV, dealing with the developments in Kharga. (Warning: Contains graphic images)
This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.