AN EGYPTIAN anarchist movement has emerged on the streets with a wave of firebombings and street fights.
The new wave of revolt is also sweeping through other Arab countries, with anarchist groups in Tunisia, Morocco, Syria and elsewhere.
Anarchists have been present in Egypt before, during, and after the revolution, but until today, they have yet to organize a mass grouping under the banner of anarchism, explains blogger Ryan Harvey.
The Ultras
of Egypt’s football clubs have for years been associated with anarchist
ideas and actions, and they are widely credited with having initiated
the level militancy that brought down the Mubarak government in February
of 2011.
This week anarchism left the graffitied
walls, small conversations, and online forums of Egypt, and came to
life in Cairo, declaring itself a new force in the ongoing social
revolution sparked two years ago with multiple firebombings against
Muslim Brotherhood offices. Later, the government shut down the “Black
Blocairo” and “Egyptian Black Bloc” Facebook pages, but they were soon re-launched.
“Wait for our next attacks as we respond
to the closing of our official page…” they posted in a statement posted
online (translated below).
On Thursday the black bloc made its first
mass-appearance in Tahrir Square, and, shortly after, firebombed the
Shura Council (Egyptian Parliament), tore down a section of the
protest-barrier walls leading from Tahrir Square, and, with others,
engaged in fighting against security forces.
Anarchism and the black bloc concept has grown in recent months across Egypt, Stemming from various anarchist grouping/circles that coalesced during the revolutionary period. A massive distrust among the youth of all political parties, a sharp critique of the role of religion within governance, and the inspiration of anarchist resistance around the world (largely symbolized by the late-2008 revolt in Greece) have helped it catalyze.
d
Below is the statement of Black
Blocairo in regards to the removal of their websites, their firebombing
attacks against government offices, and their calls for revolt:
“Yesterday and after we finished our
event, we met some of the revolutionary movements and we decided to
unite together in our next attacks, hence we did our first two attacks,
as we told you yesterday:
1- Setting fire to Ikhwan (Muslim Brotherhood) online office.
2- Setting fire in the Ikhwan office in Al-Manial street in Cairo.
And we announced our
revolution since today in Al-Tahrir Square untill Egypt and it’s people
get their rights back! Life, Freedom and social justice!
Black Blocairo, The Hooligans
Wait for our next attacks as we respond to the closing of our official page…”
f
EGYPTIAN ANARCHIST LINKS:
Revolution Black Bloc (Egyptian anarchist page)
Black Blocairo (Black Blocairo’s new page)
d
OTHER ARAB ANARCHIST LINKS:
Anarchists of Arabs (Arab anarchist page)
Tahrir ICN (English European solidarity page)
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