U.S. protests in solidarity with Egypt uprising

A crowd of Egyptians who live in or around New York City demonstrated at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza near the U.N., perhaps 1,500 strong. Whole families came out to call for an end to the Hosni Mubarak regime and especially for Mubarak himself to leave office. As one homemade placard put it, “Game over, Mubarak.” Many U.S.-based leftist parties and immigrant groups showed their support for the Egyptian uprising.

Outside the U.N. in New York City. WW photo: Brenda Ryan

Two emergency demonstrations were held on Jan. 26 and Jan. 29 in San Francisco to support the Egyptian freedom struggle. Called by an ad-hoc grouping of Egyptian, Palestinian and anti-war activists, the actions attracted hundreds of angry protesters.

On Jan.29, nearly 1,000 people marched through downtown chanting, “Hey, hey, ho, ho, Hosni Mubarak’s got to go!” Speaker after speaker applauded the young people of Egypt for leading the struggle. Abdel Malik Ali, a representative of the Malcolm X Center for Human Rights, commented that the Egyptian youth are showing us how to use “the social media for social change.” Ali added that the struggle in Egypt is for self-determination and freedom. Plans are underway for more protests throughout the Bay Area.

Jersey City, N.J. WW photo: Monica Moorehead

A few hundred people demonstrated for more than three hours at the CNN headquarters in Atlanta on Jan. 25. The protest brought out Egyptian nationals studying at area universities, entire families from elders to babies from many Arab and North African communities, as well as members of progressive student, political and anti-war groups. Young women played a key role in sustaining the impassioned chanting of “Down with Mubarak!” that rang through the downtown area. The action received extensive local media coverage. CNN and CNN Español conducted studio interviews with some of the organizers of the demonstration.

On Jan. 29 an Egypt solidarity demo that brought out 1,500 people on 48 hours’ notice assembled in Chicago at the Egyptian Consulate.

Chicago WW photo: Lou Paulsen

Egyptian nationals — women and men, young and old — held an impromptu protest in front of the Journal Square transportation center in Jersey City, N.J., chanting and holding signs demanding that Mubarak leave office. Supporters representing BAYAN USA, Veterans for Peace-N.J., the Jersey City Peace Movement and Workers World Party also attended.

The heroic, inspiring uprising throughout Egypt demanding the complete ouster of the U.S.-backed, pro-Zionist Hosni Mubarak regime, continues to occupy the world center stage as it enters its second week. As hundreds of thousands of Egyptians continue to occupy the streets in defiance of the military curfew, especially in Cairo and Alexandria, and now calling for a million-strong strike Feb. 1, global demonstrations in solidarity with the Egyptian people are also taking place and growing. The following roundup is a brief summary of some of these demonstrations — many called on very short notice — that have taken place so far in the U.S. Additional demonstrations occurred in Washington, D.C.; Los Angeles; Minneapolis; Houston; Dearborn, Mich.; and elsewhere. More solidarity actions are yet to come.

San Francisco WW photo: Judy Greenspan

The streets of Cambridge, Mass., and Boston resounded with chants of “Down with Mubarak!” and “Barack Obama you should know, Mubarak has got to go!” on Jan. 29 as more than 700 protesters, many Egyptian and Arab, expressed their solidarity with the people of Egypt.

The demonstration was organized in two days’ time on Facebook by Egyptian students. It marched from Harvard University to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and then over the Massachusetts Avenue bridge and all through downtown Boston, ending at Faneuil Hall. International Action Center signs were enthusiastically received and carried by the marchers.

Slogans included “Mubarak Regime — Made in U.S.A.!” “Long Live the Egyptian Intifada!” and “No More U.S. $ for the Bloody Mubarak Dictatorship!” An IAC statement in solidarity with the Egyptian uprising was also well received.

A delegation from the Egyptian community protested outside of Sen. Carl Levin’s office in Warren, Mich., along with members of the Michigan Emergency Committee Against War & Injustice, Workers World Party, the Socialist Party USA and the Organization for a Free Society.

On Jan. 29, spirited demonstrators in Miami showed support for the Egyptian people’s struggle to topple the U.S.-backed Mubarak regime. The protest began at the Federal Building. Protesters gathered there and marched amid Saturday shoppers and some applause to the “Torch of Friendship” on Biscayne Blvd. Most of the people attending the rally were Egyptians and Palestinians who came with their young children. Their enthusiastic chants, cried out in English, Arabic and Spanish, included, “No justice no peace, U.S. out of the Middle East!” and “Egypt, Egypt, don’t you fear, revolution is already here!” Passing drivers honked their car horns in support. Local TV covered the protest.

About 70 Egyptian, Arab and anti-war protesters demonstrated their support for the mass rebellion in Egypt Jan. 31 at rush hour in front of the Philadelphia Federal Building.

Contributing to this roundup and photos were John Catalinotto, Judy Greenspan, Martha Grevatt, Cheryl LaBash, Mike Martinez, Dianne Mathiowetz, Frank Neisser, Lou Paulsen and Joe Piette.