CONTEST: Anger & Revenge
postmark deadline March 16, 2011

For an upcoming issue, Creative Nonfiction is seeking new essays about anger and revenge, true tales of frustration and retribution, long-buried memories of outrage and reprisal--or the absence of either. We're looking for stories that explore the lost art of the thoughtful diatribe, illustrate the beauty of the lyrical barb, invent elaborate secret plots, and generally don't play well with others.

Essays must be vivid and dramatic; they should combine a strong and compelling narrative with a significant element of research or information, and reach for some universal or deeper meaning in personal experiences. We're looking for well-written prose, rich with detail and a distinctive voice.

Creative Nonfiction editors will award $1000 for Best Essay and $500 for runner-up.

Guidelines: Essays must be unpublished, 4,000 words maximum, postmarked by March 16, 2011, and clearly marked "Anger & Revenge" on both the essay and the outside of the envelope. There is a $20 reading fee (or send a reading fee of $25 to include a 4-issue CNF subscription--U.S. submitters only); multiple entries are welcome ($20/essay) as are entries from outside the U.S. (though due to shipping costs, the subscription deal is not valid). Please send manuscript, accompanied by a cover letter with complete contact information including the title of the essay, SASE and payment to:

Creative Nonfiction
Attn: Anger & Revenge
5501 Walnut Street, Suite 202
Pittsburgh, PA 15232

SECTION QUERIES
accepted year-round

Have an idea for a literary timeline? An opinion on essential texts for readers and/or writers? An in-depth, working knowledge of a specific type of nonfiction? Pitch us your ideas; Creative Nonfiction is now accepting query letters for the following sections of the magazine:

UNDER THE UMBRELLA - explores one subset or type of writing that falls under the creative nonfiction umbrella--dad memoir, extreme travel writing, as well as lesser-known kinds of creative nonfiction--and the patterns that connect these types of writing. Past example: CNF's Armchair Guide to Stunt Writing.

WRITER AT WORK - an analysis of or an in-depth look into a specific writer's writing process. Past example: Gay Talese's approach to composition.

BETWEEN THE LINES - focuses on the business of writing and the role of the editor, agent, publisher and nonfiction writer in the contemporary publishing landscape. This section is reserved for more serious, newsy (in a general way) topics. Past examples: The future of literary magazines in America, and a defense of navel-gazing.

REQUIRED READING - catalogues and explores essential texts for nonfiction readers and writers. Pieces can be as simple as a list or as complex as a lyric essay. Past examples: David Shields' inspirations and recommendations, and the narrative forms of Norman Mailer as recounted by his biographer.

THEN AND NOW - literary timelines or comparisons of the genre's past and present. Past example: a history of the genre (and the magazine) from 1993 to 2009.

AFTERWORDS - the final page of the magazine. We're open to just about any ideas that can be presented completely in one page, though we are more inclined to pieces that take a lighter look at the genre, craft, and/or industry. Past examples: First sentences from first books, and the ever-expanding nonfiction subtitle.

[Note: Nothing increases your publishing chances more than a familiarity with the magazine; we recommend you become a subscriber, but a working knowledge of our last two issues (#38 and #39) is a great place to start, too. Once you're a student of the publication, query us via email, according to the guidelines below.]

Guidelines: All queries should be sent to "queries [at] creativenonfiction [dot] org", and the subject line should include the section you're querying about (e.g. "Between the Lines"). In the body of the email, please include the following:

Your name; your email address; your idea (250 words or less); your bio as it relates to your idea (250 words or less); and your plan for executing your idea (250 words or less).

Queries only. Please do not send completed pieces. Please do not send attachments. Please send brilliant ideas and a solid plan for turning said brilliant ideas into brilliant pieces of writing.

 

CONTEST: Tiny Truths: CNF's Daily Twitter Contest
accepted year-round

Can you tell a true story in 130 characters (or fewer)? Think you could write one hundred CNF-worthy micro essays a day? Go for it. We dare you. There's no limit. Simply follow Creative Nonfiction on Twitter and tag your tiny truths with the trending topic #cnftweet. That's it.

We re-tweet winners daily and republish 10-12 winning tweets in every issue of Creative Nonfiction.

Not sure what we're looking for? Check out all of our past "Favorites".

 

GENERAL (UN-THEMED) SUBMISSIONS
accepted year-round

We try to respond to all submissions as soon as possible. We read general submissions year-round, but depending on the time of year, it is not uncommon for a response to take up to 6 months.

What we're looking for:

• Strong reportage
• Well-written prose, rich with detail and a distinctive voice.
• An informational quality or instructive element that offers the reader something to learn (an idea, concept or collection of facts, strengthened with insight, reflection and interpretation.)
• A compelling, focused, sustained narrative that is well-structured, makes sense and conveys meaning.

Guidelines for Submission:

• Submissions should be typed, double-spaced, 5,000 words maximum (with word count clearly marked).
• Submissions to special issues should be clearly marked.
• Please do not send multiple submissions.
• Please do not send queries. We consider only complete essays.
• Faxed or emailed submissions will not be accepted.
• Please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope for response. We regret that we cannot return manuscripts.
• We will reply to manuscripts sent from outside the United States by email, if an email address is provided.
• We accept simultaneous submissions, but do ask to be kept informed of the status of your manuscript.
• We typically pay $10 per printed page.
• Please send unsolicited material to:

  Creative Nonfiction Foundation
  5501 Walnut Street, Suite 202
  Pittsburgh, PA 15232

2011 Contests

2011 Contest Update!

First, SER went online for regular submissions, and now we are proud to offer an online submission option for our contests as well! We can't wait to see what you've been working on, so please consider submitting your contest entry online by clicking HERE!

(Note: The submission fee for online entries is $16 to help offset the cost of the service. We will continue to accept mailed submissions sent by March 15th, 2011.)

 

World’s Best Short Short Story Contest

 Send up to three short-short stories per submission, accompanied by a $15 reading fee for mailed submissions ($16 online). Each short-short story should be no more than 500 words. Include your name, contact information (email address preferred), and the title of each of your short-short stories in a very brief cover letter. Do not include personal identification information on the short-shorts themselves. Robert Olen Butler will judge. One winner will be chosen and awarded $500. The winner and nine finalists will be published in spring/summer 2012. For mailed submissions, label envelope: WBSSSC.

 

The Southeast Review Poetry Contest
Send up to three poems, no more than 10 pages total, accompanied by a $15 reading fee for mailed submissions ($16 online). Include no more than one poem per page. Include your name, contact information (email address preferred), and the title of each of your poems in a very brief cover letter. Do not include personal identification information on the poems themselves. David Kirby will judge. One winner will be chosen and awarded $500. The winning poem and nine finalists will be published in spring/summer 2012. For mailed submissions label envelope: SER Poetry Contest.

 

The Southeast Review Narrative Nonfiction Contest
Send one piece of nonfiction, no more than 6,000 words total, accompanied by a $15 reading fee for mailed submissions ($16 online). Include your name, contact information (email address preferred), and the title of your submission in a very brief cover letter. Do not include personal identification information on the submission itself. Mark Winegardner  will judge. One winner will be chosen and awarded $500. The winning essay and two finalists will be published in spring/summer 2012. For mailed submissions, label envelope: SER Nonfiction Contest.

 

General Contest Guidelines

2011 UPDATE: Now there are TWO WAYS to submit! You may either send your typed entry via snail mail to the address listed below, OR take advantage of our brand-new online contest submission option by clicking HERE (please note, in order to offset the cost of the electronic submission service, online entries have a fee of $16). For mailed submissions, make checks or money orders out to: The Southeast Review. Electronic and postmark deadline: March 15th, 2011.

Friends and current or former students of the judge and those who have been affiliated with Florida State University within the last five years are ineligible.

For mailed submissions, please do not send an SASE. Winners will be announced on the website in June. All contestants will receive the issue in which the winning submissions appear.

Send all submissions to:
The Southeast Review
Department of English
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL 32306

 

About Our Judges

Robert Olen Butler has published eleven novels and five volumes of short fiction, including two collections of short short stories. His newest book, as well, will be a volume of short shorts, Weegee Stories, forthcoming this fall from Narrative Library. In 1993 he won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. He is the Francis Eppes Distinguished Professor holding the Michael Shaara Chair in Creative Writing at Florida State University. 

 David Kirby is the author or co-author of twenty-nine books, including the poetry collections The House on Boulevard St.: New and Selected Poems, The Ha-Ha, The House of Blue Light, and The Travelling Library, in addition to the essay collection Ultra-Talk: Johnny Cash, The Mafia, Shakespeare, Drum Music, St. Teresa Of Avila, and 17 Other Colossal Topics Of Conversation. His many awards include the Guy Owen Prize, the James Dickey Prize, the Brittingham Prize, and fellowships from the National Endowment of the Arts and the Guggenheim Foundation. Kirby'’s latest book, Little Richard: The Birth of Rock 'n' Roll (Continuum, 2009), has been hailed by the Times Literary Supplement of London as a "hymn of praise to the emancipatory power of nonsense.” Kirby is the Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor of English at Florida State University, where he has taught since 1969.

Mark Winegardner’s books include the novels Crooked River Burning, The Godfather Returns, and The Godfather’s Revenge; the short story collection That’s True of Everybody; and the nonfiction books Prophet of the Sandlots and Elvis Presley Boulevard. His work has appeared in such magazines as Details, GQ, Playboy, and The New York Times Magazine, and he is a senior writer for The Oxford American. He is the Burroway Chair and Distinguished Research Professor at Florida State University.

 

The Missouri Review's
4th Annual Audio Contest

[View the 2007 and 2008 winners here.]-->

Now accepting entries in four categories.

$1,000 first prize in each category!

 

Winners and select runners up will be featured on our website. All entrants receive a 1-year subscription to The Missouri Review’s Print or Digital Edition.

Check out last year's winners here.

 

Audio Contest
Guidelines

Postmark Deadline: March 15, 2011

Download your entry form here.

Category Guidelines:

Voice-Only Poetry

Poets are encouraged to enter an original poem or collection of poems for this category. Entries should not exceed 10 minutes total and may be solely author-read or contain other voices, tracks of sound, or music.

Judging will be based on the following criteria: literary merit, technical proficiency and, most importantly, how the author uses audio media to further the literary strength of his or her piece. We encourage writers and producers to make innovative use of recording technology as a means of furthering their literary craft. 

Time: 10 minutes or less.
First Prize: $1,000

Voice-Only Prose

Writers may enter a short story, narrative essay, or other form of literary prose. For this category we are not interested in academic essays or purely journalistic writing/reportage. Entries—not to exceed 10 minutes when read aloud—may be solely author-read or contain other voices, tracks of sound, or music.

Judging will be based on the following criteria: literary merit, technical proficiency and, most importantly, how the author uses audio media to further the literary strength of his or her piece. We encourage writers and producers to make innovative use of recording technology as a means of furthering their literary craft.

Time: 10 minutes or less.
First Prize: $1,000

Professional or Studio-Recorded Audio Documentary

This category is open to entrants with professional audio production experience who have access to professional-quality recording equipment and/or a recording studio—or to entrants who are collaborating with production professionals and have access to professional equipment.

Entries should be audio only. We are interested in short documentaries on any subject. Documentaries can be presented in a variety of forms, including narrative, interview, or documentary play. Entries will be judged on strength of the script and subject, ability to meet their objective (stated or unstated, i.e. a comedic short that’s funny, or an artist interview that is informative, fresh and insightful), and technical facility (including sound, reporting, presenting and/or acting).

Time: 10 minutes or less.
First Prize: $1,000

Self-Recorded Audio Documentary

This category is reserved for the self-taught audiophile, especially those recording from home (or using home-recording equipment in the field).

Entries should be audio only. We are interested in short documentaries on any subject. Documentaries can be presented in a variety of forms, including narrative, interview, or documentary play. Entries will be judged on strength of the script and subject, ability to meet their objective (stated or unstated, i.e. a comedic short that’s funny, or an artist interview that is informative, fresh and insightful), and technical facility (including sound, reporting, presenting and/or acting).

Time: 10 minutes or less.
First Prize: $1,000

 

Entry Fee: $20 per entry

Multiple entries are welcome, accompanied by separate payment for each title you wish to have considered.

Technical Requirements:

Entries are accepted on CD only. CDs should not contain any audio other than entry material. Include a brief program synopsis and bio of the writer/producer.

Submissions Must Include

• a completed entry form for each entry (download the entry form)
• a copy of the entry on a CD or video DVD, labeled with writer/ producer, title and length
• a brief program synopsis and short writer/producer bio
• the $20 entry fee payment (make checks out to The Missouri Review)

Send Entries To

The Missouri Review Audio & Video Competition
357 McReynolds Hall
University of Missouri
Columbia, MO 65211

For More Information

E-mail us at: contest_question@missourireview.com

 

‘Hosni Mubarak, the plane is waiting’

Yasmine El Rashidi

Pierre Sioufi

Cairo, January 25, 2011

Cairo on the morning of January 25 felt like something of a ghost town. Few civilians were to be found on the streets, most stores were shuttered, and the typically heaving downtown was deserted. It was a national holiday, and in the central town square, named Tahrir, or Liberation, even cars were scarce, and parking spaces—always sparse—were in abundance. The only conspicuous presence was that of Egypt’s police and state security. Rows of their box-shaped olive-green trucks lined thoroughfares and narrow side-streets, in some cases blocking them off for miles. Beside them were battered cobalt blue trucks—the ones used to whisk away prisoners and detainees. Throughout the downtown area and in neighboring districts, police and informants (easily identified by their loitering presence, darting eyes, and frequent two-second phone calls) were gathered around the otherwise empty major arteries of the city. Hundreds of them. Many wore black cargo pants, bush jackets and clunky army boots. Many more were in plain clothes—standing on street corners, at calculated intervals on sidewalks, in building entrances, on bridges, and in the few cafes open on a day when almost everything was closed.

Youth activist groups had designated January 25 as “Freedom Revolution Day.” The uprising in Tunisia, which in four short weeks sent President Zine el-Abidine Ben-Ali packing, had been closely watched by Egyptian activists and opposition leaders. They included members of the once-popular Kifaya (Enough), the youth-based 6th of April Movement, Karama, The Popular Democratic Movement for Change (HASHD), the National Association for Change, founded by former IAEA Chief Mohamed ElBaradei, the Justice and Freedom Youth movement, and the Revolutionary Socialists. Last week, some thirty of these activists met in the decrepit headquarters of the Center for Socialist Studies in central Cairo to organize a mass demonstration against the repressive Egyptian regime.

Egyptians have many grievances, with sectarian strife, police brutality, inflation and skyrocketing prices, and the vicious clampdowns by the government on any dissent topping that list. In the lead-up to last November’s parliamentary elections, press freedoms were curbed and dozens of opposition members were jailed. The elections themselves were widely seen as a sham, yielding a sweeping victory for president Hosni Mubarak’s ruling National Democratic Party. Then, on the eve of the New Year, a suicide bombing outside a church in Alexandria left twenty-two people dead and eighty injured.

The activists’ plan for January 25 was to send tens of thousands of Egyptians into the streets, and to have them stay there until Mubarak gave in to demands: justice, freedom, citizen rights, and an end to his thirty-year rule. The organizers—comprised, largely, of public university graduates in their twenties—had called on Cairenes to gather at several locations across the city, prepared for nights in the streets and armed with cameras—to document any police brutality, which has come to be expected at any public protest here.

To lobby support, the activists used Twitter and Facebook, targeting above all the 60 percent of Egypt’s 80 million people who are under the age of 25. A rap song was made and circulated, a video plea by the mother of the slain activist Khaled Said recorded, and Facebook groups formed to encourage people to join the protest.

On the 25th, I had made a plan with a journalist friend to head out early and stop by several of the designated protest locations—the Supreme Court, Cairo University, the popular Mustafa Mahmoud Mosque, and Shubra—before deciding where to go. Admittedly, we were skeptical. Just weeks before, in a similar call for demonstrations in Egypt in solidarity with the Tunisian uprising, I had arrived at a downtown square to find it barricaded by 200 shielded riot police. Inside were only nine protesters holding up three small banners.

But this time was different. Our first stop, around noon, was the Supreme Court, on usually bustling Ramses Street in the city center. There, we found rows of riot police with their batons, the same roadblock of trucks, and metal rails cordoning off the patch of sidewalk that state security had assigned for protesters. The government’s strategy, as on previous occasions, was to surround protesters with both metal and human barricades, trapping them.

In the allocated spot of sidewalk, we found only a single man, who we recognized as the defense lawyer of Ayman Nour, the opposition party leader who was thrown in jail after running against Mubarak in the 2005 presidential elections. “They’ve been civil with me so far,” he said of the officers present. “They even offered me a cup of tea.”

We stayed for a few minutes, watching the crowd gathering, spotting CNN’s Ben Wedeman and an entourage of foreign press. But tweets and text messages were coming through about escalating tensions in Shubra—a working class district in the center of the city known as a stronghold of the Coptic Christian community. The neighborhood was still reeling from the New Year’s eve attack on a church in Alexandria, to which it had close ties. My friend called another friend, Mohamed Waked, an anthropologist and seasoned activist. He would join us, along with his brother, Amr, an actor who appeared in the film Syriana.

In Shubra, we joined a marching procession of about one hundred people, mainly Muslims, who were moving slowly through narrow, muddy streets, led by activists chanting into a speaker: “Christian or Muslim it’s not important, similar poverty similar concerns! Hosni Mubarak, Hosni Mubarak, the plane is waiting, the plane is waiting. Saudi Arabia is not far!”

Within an hour, the group had grown. The hundred had become a thousand. Behind them, thirty plain-clothes thugs and state security followed, not saying a word, not indicating concern. The cohort decided to proceed to Tahrir Square, Cairo’s central square, where tension was mounting and processions of 2,000 activists were coming in from different directions. Through Twitter, the protesters had agreed that all marches should converge there.

I thought to tell a journalist friend of our plan, and slowed down to make a phone call. In a second, my head tilted, glancing at the street behind me, I saw the attack: 300 shielded riot police stormed the crowd. Onlookers screamed. Police grabbed people by their necks, beat them, dragged some off, many of them kicking, some visibly bloody. Others found refuge in building stairwells, and some residents opened their doors for protesters to come in for cover. My friend and I ducked into a back street, eventually reuniting with Mohamed, whom we had lost amid the scramble to escape police.

Yasmine El Rashidi

A man kneels during the protest. Cairo, January 25, 2011

We lingered, waiting for a car to come, trying to absorb what we had just witnessed. Mohamed looked around. He noted a group of informants with walkie-talkies down the street. “They’re trying to figure out our next move.” We laughed, and then regretted it, when a split-second later, four muscular men grabbed him from behind and ran off, taking him away, yelling at us to get out of the area fast. Despite the chaos, we somehow managed to hail a cab, headed for Tahrir.

By the time we arrived, Tahrir Square was filling up again with protesters, about 15,000 of them. Young men in their twenties with football-themed hoodies and Puma sneakers were everywhere. Young women too—some of them veiled, many of them not. Fathers with young children on their shoulders and by their sides filled the square’s grassy center. I spotted Al-Ghad party leader Ayman Nour, and the outspoken newspaper editor Ibrahim Eissa, who was fired last year for being too critical of the regime. Hala El Koussy, the well-known artist, was there too, and I noticed Amr Shalakany, a law professor at the American University in Cairo, carrying an Egyptian flag. Someone pointed to the novelist Alaa El Aswaany, in the distance. I could just about make him out through the crowds, wearing a burgundy scarf. Some members of the Muslim Brotherhood were also in attendance, spotted by a journalist friend who had interviewed them in recent weeks. They were there as independents, since the group’s leaders had decided it would not participate in the protests.

The streets were strewn with rocks and other debris from earlier scuffles with police. I was told that protesters and riot police had clashed, and that the police had already fired tear gas. We waited, expecting it to happen again. The chanting grew louder, and the crowd grew too. By 4:30 PM, I heard someone say that the last of the marching protesters had arrived in the square. News reports estimated that 20,000 to 40,000 people had gathered there. I debated this with journalists and friends: no one agreed on a figure.

Around the square, security forces began to move in. A bearded man in faded jeans and a faux suede jacket raised a speaker and called on the crowd to chant louder. A young man, about 19, climbed a pole and raised the Egyptian flag. A young girl in a pink sweater hoisted a banner, asking Mubarak to step down. She must have been about nine. She was smiling and seemed to think that this was a celebration. As the sun began to set, activists insisted that people remain here all night, or until Mubarak yields. They chanted for courage. “No one will die”.

For hours, this went on, chants interrupted by the firing of sporadic rounds of tear gas. Phone networks were cut and the light had dimmed. Reports were trickling in that there had been no mention of the protests on state TV, and that even Al-Jazeera coverage was sparse. No one seemed to be leaving. Small crowds tried to, but people cheered them back, telling them not to fear, to be one, to unite. Most of them stayed. By late in the evening rumors started to circulate that the Minister of the Interior had given orders for live ammunition to be used after 10 PM. In an uproar, the crowd shouted that they were still not scared, that nothing would move them except defeat of their ruler. They moved closer towards the police barricades, shouting into the air that the force of the citizens was stronger than any ammunition the police might use.

I had been close to the front of the crowd, facing the riot police. When I heard talk of live ammunition, I retreated back into the center of the square. I wondered if it might be time to leave, but others around weren’t flinching.

We waited.

Close to 1 AM, we sensed something was about to happen. The number of riot police had increased, we noticed more shielded trucks in outlying side-streets, and the security barricade the police had erected seemed to be inching closer, closing in on the square. Suddenly, there were groups of thugs—strongmen in cotton shirts despite the cold—both moving among the protesters and in the surrounding streets. The riot police pulled down their masks.

The attack was ruthless. The police fired round after round of tear gas and began to strike protesters indiscriminately with their batons; the thugs, who were beating down on protesters—in some cases with metal chains and knives—seemed to have orders to kill. With the air thick with sulphur, people fell to the ground, many toppled by the sheer force of the security forces moving in. Water cannons smashed through the crowds.

Hours later, many of us were back home, checking our Twitter and Facebook feeds for news and wondering what would happen next. Would there be a curfew, would the president release a statement, would the state concede anything? What would tomorrow’s papers say? People joked that the ruling family had just landed at Heathrow, a hundred bags in tow. Ayman Nour tweeted that his son had been detained. Activists slammed Hilary Clinton’s remarks describing Egypt’s government as “stable and looking for ways to respond to the legitimate needs and interests of the Egyptian people.” A picture of an empty tear gas canister circulated, the zoom focusing in on ‘Made in USA’. Organizers circulated a message that the protests would continue, tomorrow, the next day, and Friday after midday prayers.

“Don’t forget,” tweeted one activist, “that in Tunisia it took a month. #Egypt is bigger, it will take more. #jan25, keep it alive.”

At the time of this writing, protests have begun again. I can hear the echo of sirens in the city, and I’ve been receiving tweets about what’s happening downtown, about arrests and “abductions.” Our friend Mohamed has not yet been released from the custody of state security. In all, 860 protesters were arrested throughout the country, and three people were killed. A journalist friend who is out covering the events posts on her Facebook page: “Cairo is under siege today. By the government’s thugs and security apparatus. Protests, kidnappings, beatings, arrests, tear gas. What the hell!”

January 26, 2011 5:45 p.m.

JAN 28

THE EGYPT PROTESTS

01. Egyptian anti-government protesters clash with riot police at the port city of Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Police fired rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators in the eastern city of Suez, on a third day of protests calling for an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30 year-old-rule. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany

The Egyptian protests against lack of work, rising food prices and the oppressive regime of President Hosni Mubarak seem to be moving towards a climax. Today the Egyptian government has shut down all internet access and text messaging service to try and prevent people from finding out about the protests. And to stop people from finding out about the police brutality which has been going on for decades, as can be read in the Wikileaks Egypt Cables released today. It takes brave, or desperate, people to stand up to people with guns so we wish the people of Egypt well. Warning: Some images are graphic.
UPDATE: Live streams from Egypt. Protesters are urging the army to join them and not side with the government or police.
UPDATE 2: New images added. A curfew has been put in place and the army is said to have been called in by the governement aka Hosni Mubarak.
UPDATE 3: Several more images added of the street battles in Cairo. Mubarak has called in the army to help out the police and armoured vehicles and tanks have been seen on the streets of Suez, Cairo and Alexandria. Mubarak has also ordered the shutting down of the mobile phone networks (Vodoafone says) in several areas of the country. This, together with the shutting down of the internet, it is hoped will prevent protesters from organising their actions. Let’s hope it doesn’t. It will be interesting to see what the Western politicians have to say about all this as they’ve always treated Mubarak as a friend and ally.
UPDATE 4 29-01-2011: New images added. Mubarak has changed his government, promised reforms, but has still sent the army out onto the streets. The Egyptians want him gone and he doesn’t get it.
UPDATE 5 30-01-2011: We added some more images in a second topic about the protests as this one was getting a bit image heavy and slowing the servers down.

 

 

 

02. An anti-government protester gestures during clashes with police in Cairo January 26, 2011. Thousands of Egyptians defied a ban on protests by returning to Egypt's streets on Wednesday and calling for President Hosni Mubarak to leave office, and some scuffled with police. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

03. Egyptian plainclothes policemen arrest an anti-government protester during clashes in Cairo January 26, 2011. Thousands of Egyptians defied a ban on protests by returning to Egypt's streets on Wednesday and calling for President Hosni Mubarak to leave office, and some scuffled with police. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

04. A man shouts in front of riot police in Cairo January 26, 2011. Thousands of Egyptians defied a ban on protests by returning to Egypt's streets on Wednesday and calling for President Hosni Mubarak to leave office, and some scuffled with police. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

05. Riot police clash with protesters in Cairo January 26, 2011. Thousands of Egyptians defied a ban on protests by returning to Egypt's streets on Wednesday and calling for President Hosni Mubarak to leave office, and some scuffled with police. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

06. A riot policeman holds his face after being injured during clashes with anti-government protesters in downtown Cairo January 26, 2011. Thousands of Egyptians defied a ban on protests by returning to Egypt's streets on Wednesday and calling for President Hosni Mubarak to leave office, and some scuffled with police. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

07. Riot police clash with protesters in Cairo January 26, 2011. Thousands of Egyptians defied a ban on protests by returning to Egypt's streets on Wednesday and calling for President Hosni Mubarak to leave office, and some scuffled with police. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

08. A riot policeman walks past burning tyres placed to form a barricade during clashes with protesters in Cairo January 26, 2011. Thousands of Egyptians defied a ban on protests by returning to Egypt's streets on Wednesday and calling for President Hosni Mubarak to leave office, and some scuffled with police. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

09. Riot police keep watch as they hold shields during clashes with protesters in Cairo January 26, 2011. Thousands of Egyptians defied a ban on protests by returning to Egypt's streets on Wednesday and calling for President Hosni Mubarak to leave office, and some scuffled with police. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

10. Plainclothes police arrest a protester during clashes in Cairo January 26, 2011. Thousands of Egyptians defied a ban on protests by returning to Egypt's streets on Wednesday and calling for President Hosni Mubarak to leave office, and some scuffled with police. REUTERS/Asmaa Waguih

11. Riot police stand on a street during clashes with protesters in Cairo January 26, 2011. Thousands of Egyptians defied a ban on protests by returning to Egypt's streets on Wednesday and calling for President Hosni Mubarak to leave office, and some scuffled with police. REUTERS/Asmaa Waguih

12. Riot police clash with protesters in Cairo January 26, 2011. Thousands of Egyptians defied a ban on protests by returning to Egypt's streets on Wednesday and calling for President Hosni Mubarak to leave office, and some scuffled with police. REUTERS/Asmaa Waguih

13. Plainclothes police arrest a protester during clashes in Cairo January 26, 2011. Thousands of Egyptians defied a ban on protests by returning to Egypt's streets on Wednesday and calling for President Hosni Mubarak to leave office, and some scuffled with police. REUTERS/Asmaa Waguih

14. Anti-government protesters clash with riot police near burning tyres placed as a barricade during clashes in Cairo January 26, 2011. Thousands of Egyptians defied a ban on protests by returning to Egypt's streets on Wednesday and calling for President Hosni Mubarak to leave office, and some scuffled with police. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

15. People surround the ambulance transporting Gharib Abdelaziz Abdellatif in the port city in Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo, January 26, 2011. Gharib, 45, died of internal bleeding after police shot him in the stomach on Wednesday, according to medical sources. Police fought with thousands of Egyptians who defied a government ban on Wednesday to protest against President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year-old rule, firing rubber bullets and tear gas and dragging away demonstrators. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany

16. Teargas is used during anti-government protests after the funeral of Gharib Abdel Aziz in the port city in Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo, January 26, 2011. Gharib, 45, died of internal bleeding after police shot him in the stomach on Wednesday, according to medical sources. Police fought with thousands of Egyptians who defied a government ban on Wednesday to protest against President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year-old rule, firing rubber bullets and tear gas and dragging away demonstrators. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany

17. A relative of Gharib Abdelaziz Abdellatif holds onto the ambulance carrying him in the port city in Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo, January 26, 2011. Gharib, 45, died of internal bleeding after police shot him in the stomach on Wednesday, according to medical sources. Police fought with thousands of Egyptians who defied a government ban on Wednesday to protest against President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year-old rule, firing rubber bullets and tear gas and dragging away demonstrators. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany

18. People, including relatives of Gharib Abdelaziz Abdellatif, attempt to enter the hospital grounds to retrieve his body in the port city in Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo, January 26, 2011. Gharib, 45, died of internal bleeding after police shot him in the stomach on Wednesday, according to medical sources. Police fought with thousands of Egyptians who defied a government ban on Wednesday to protest against President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year-old rule, firing rubber bullets and tear gas and dragging away demonstrators. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany

19. A relative of Gharib Abdelaziz Abdellatif cries during his funeral in the port city in Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo, January 26, 2011. Gharib, 45, died of internal bleeding after police shot him in the stomach on Wednesday, according to medical sources. Police fought with thousands of Egyptians who defied a government ban on Wednesday to protest against President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year-old rule, firing rubber bullets and tear gas and dragging away demonstrators. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany

20. Police surround protesters in front of the press syndicate in Cairo January 27, 2011. Egyptian police fought protesters in two cities in eastern Egypt on Thursday and Nobel Peace Prize winner Mohamed ElBaradei headed back to the country to join demonstrators trying to oust President Hosni Mubarak. REUTERS/Asmaa Waguih

21. Mohamed Atef lies on the ground after being shot in the head while demonstrating in the town of Sheikh Zoweid, 344 km (214 miles) northeast of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Security forces shot dead Mohamed, a Bedouin protester, in the north of Egypt's Sinai region on Thursday, eyewitnesses and a security source said. The 22-year-old man was shot in the head while demonstrating in the town of Sheikh Zoweid, they said. Security forces fired tear gas to disperse dozens of protesters. REUTERS/Stringer

22. Mohamed Atef is carried after being shot in the head while demonstrating in the town of Sheikh Zoweid, 344 km (214 miles) northeast of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Security forces shot dead Mohamed, a Bedouin protester, in the north of Egypt's Sinai region on Thursday, eyewitnesses and a security source said. The 22-year-old man was shot in the head while demonstrating in the town of Sheikh Zoweid, they said. Security forces fired tear gas to disperse dozens of protesters. REUTERS/Stringer

23. Mohamed Atef lies on the ground after being shot in the head while demonstrating in the town of Sheikh Zoweid, 344 km (214 miles) northeast of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Security forces shot dead Mohamed, a Bedouin protester, in the north of Egypt's Sinai region on Thursday, eyewitnesses and a security source said. The 22-year-old man was shot in the head while demonstrating in the town of Sheikh Zoweid, they said. Security forces fired tear gas to disperse dozens of protesters. REUTERS/Stringer

24. Egyptian anti-government protesters attack a riot police car at the port city in Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo east of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Police fired rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators in Suez on a third day of protests calling for an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year-old rule. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany

25. Protesters scuffle with riot police during a demonstration outside the press syndicate in central Cairo January 27, 2011. Demonstrations demanding the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak, in power since 1981, have raged since Tuesday in several Egyptian cities, with the biggest clashes in Cairo and Suez. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis (EGYPT - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS)

26. Mariam Solayman, a member of an Egyptian activist group, shouts anti-government slogans in front of a police cordon during a demonstration outside the press syndicate in central Cairo January 27, 2011. Demonstrations demanding the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak, in power since 1981, have raged since Tuesday in several Egyptian cities, with the biggest clashes in Cairo and Suez. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis

27. Egyptian anti-government protesters start a fire in the fire station in Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Police fired rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators in the eastern city of Suez, on a third day of protests calling for an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30 year-old-rule, a witness said. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany

28. A protester displays a message on a placard of the Egyptian flag during a demonstration outside the press syndicate in central Cairo January 27, 2011. Demonstrations demanding the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak, in power since 1981, have raged since Tuesday in several Egyptian cities, with the biggest clashes in Cairo and Suez. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis

29. An Egyptian anti-government protester prepares to throw a burning object at the Suez Fire Station at the port city of Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Police fired rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators in the eastern city of Suez, on a third day of protests calling for an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30 year-old-rule, a witness said. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany

30. Egyptian anti-government protesters throw Molotov cocktails at the Suez Fire Station at the port city of Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Police fired rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators in the eastern city of Suez, on a third day of protests calling for an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30 year-old-rule. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany

31. Egyptian riot police try to extinguish flames on their shields after anti-government protesters threw burning objects at them in the port city of Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Police fired rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators in the eastern city of Suez, on a third day of protests calling for an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30 year-old-rule. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany

32. Riot police form a wall behind a burning barricade set up by anti-government protesters in the port city of Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Police fired rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators in the eastern city of Suez, on a third day of protests calling for an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30 year-old-rule. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany

33. Smoke rises from objects being burnt to form a roadblock as people react after Mohamed Atef was shot in the head while demonstrating in the town of Sheikh Zoweid, 344 km (214 miles) northeast of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Security forces shot dead Mohamed, a Bedouin protester, in the north of Egypt's Sinai region on Thursday, eyewitnesses and a security source said. The 22-year-old man was shot in the head while demonstrating in the town of Sheikh Zoweid, they said. Security forces fired tear gas to disperse dozens of protesters. REUTERS/Stringer

34. Anti-government protesters run as they throw objects at riot police in the port city of Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Police fired rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators in the eastern city of Suez, on a third day of protests calling for an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30 year-old-rule. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany

35. Anti-government protesters use fire extinguishers outside the Suez fire station in the port city in Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo east of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Police fired rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators in the eastern city of Suez, on a third day of protests calling for an end to Mubarak's 30 year-old-rule, a witness said. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany

36. Police officers carry an injured colleague during clashes with anti-government protesters in the port city of Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Police fired rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators in the eastern city of Suez, on a third day of protests calling for an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30 year-old-rule. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany

37. An anti-government protester holds a tear gas canister fired by the police during clashes in the port city of Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Police fired rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators in the eastern city of Suez, on a third day of protests calling for an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30 year-old-rule. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany

38. A police officer kicks away a tear gas canister during clashes with anti-government protesters in the port city of Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Police fired rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators in the eastern city of Suez, on a third day of protests calling for an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30 year-old-rule. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany

39. Anti-government demonstrators watch as tear gas is fired by police in an attempt to disperse them in the port city of Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Police fired rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators in the eastern city of Suez, on a third day of protests calling for an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30 year-old-rule. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany

40. Riot police stand near their vehicle during clashes with anti-government protesters in the port city of Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Police fired rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators in the eastern city of Suez, on a third day of protests calling for an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30 year-old-rule. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany

41. Firefighters attempt to extinguish a fire on a police vehicle during clashes with anti-government protesters in the port city of Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Police fired rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators in the eastern city of Suez, on a third day of protests calling for an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30 year-old-rule. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany

42. Egyptian reformed campaigner Mohamed ElBaradei talks to journalists outside Cairo's airport, January 27, 2011. ElBaradei said he expected large demonstrations across Egypt on Friday and that the time had come for President Hosni Mubarak to leave power. REUTERS/Stringer

43. Smoke rises from a fire burning at the Suez fire station during clashes between anti-government protesters and the police in the port city of Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo east of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Police fired rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators in Suez on a third day of protests calling for an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year-old rule. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany

44. Plainclothes police arrest an anti-government protester during clashes in the port city of Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Police fired rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators in the eastern city of Suez, on a third day of protests calling for an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30 year-old-rule. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany

45. An anti-government protester reacts as his relative is injured during clashes with riot police in the port city in Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo east of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Police fired rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators in Suez on a third day of protests calling for an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year-old rule. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany

46. An anti-government protester uses a fire extinguisher in the port city of Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Police fired rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators in the eastern city of Suez, on a third day of protests calling for an end to Mubarak's 30 year-old-rule, a witness said. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany

47. An anti-government protester throws objects at a riot police vehicle in the port city of Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Police fired rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators in Suez on a third day of protests calling for an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year-old rule. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany

48. Police officers carry an injured colleague during clashes with anti-government protesters in the port city of Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Police fired rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators in the eastern city of Suez, on a third day of protests calling for an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30 year-old-rule. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany (EGYPT - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS IMAGES OF THE DAY)

49. An anti-government protester throws objects at a riot police car in the port city in Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo east of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Police fired rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators in Suez on a third day of protests calling for an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year-old rule. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany

50. A man holds a sign with a picture of Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak that reads: Dictator Mubarak, get out of Egypt during a protest held in solidarity with the Egyptian protesters, after Friday prayers in Istanbul January 28, 2011. The protest was held to demand the end of Mubarak's 30-year rule as part of a wave of unrest gripping the Middle East. REUTERS/Osman Orsal

51. A plainclothes policeman hits a protester during a demonstration in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

52. A plainclothes policeman speaks with a boy as others beat protesters in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

53. A plainclothes policeman (L) runs to attack a foreign journalist as others beat a protester in front of two boys (not seen in picture) during a demonstration in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic )

54. A protester runs in front of a burning barricade during a demonstration in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

55. A protester runs in front of a burning barricade during a demonstration in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

56. An injured protester bleeds during a demonstration in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

58. A protester runs next to a police vehicle after throwing a bag of trash at it during a demonstration in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

59. A protester walks in front of a burning police vehicle in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

60. A protester gestures in front of a burning barricade during a demonstration in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

61. A protester stands in front of a burning barricade during a demonstration in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

62. A protester gestures in front of riot police during a demonstration in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

63. Smoke bellows over Cairo following clashes between protesters and police January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis

64. Egyptian demonstrators brave police water canons and tear gas during a protest in Cairo after Friday prayers January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis

65. A protester holds an Egyptian flag as he stands in front of water canons during clashes in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis

66. A protester lies on the ground after inhaling tear gas during a demonstration in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

67. Protesters fall to the ground as they inhale tear gas during a demonstration in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

68. A protester gestures near a burning barricade during a demonstration in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

69. Police officers clash with demonstrators during a protest in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis

70. A demonstrator (L) argues with police during a protest in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis

71. A demonstrator stands in front of police water canons during a protest in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis

72. Anti-government demonstrators (bottom) face off against riot police in Cairo January 28, 2011. President Hosni Mubarak imposed a curfew and ordered troops to back up police as they struggled to control crowds who flooded the streets of Cairo and other Egyptian cities on Friday to demand that he step down. REUTERS/Kyodo

73. A protester holds stones as he shouts at police during clashes in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

74. Smoke billows over mosques in Cairo following clashes between protesters and police January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis

75. A riot police officer fires tear gas during clashes in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Asmaa Waguih

76. A protester holds up an Egyptian flag during clashes in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Asmaa Waguih

77. A protester runs with a tear gas canister to throw back to the police during clashes in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis

78. Protesters disable a police van by removing its batteries during clashes in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis

79. An injured Egyptian riot policeman is given first aid by protesters during clashes in Cairo January 28, 2011. President Hosni Mubarak sent troops and armoured cars onto the streets of Cairo and other Egyptian cities on Friday in an attempt to quell street fighting and mass protests demanding an end to his 30-year rule. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis

80. A protester displays a teargas canister during clashes in Cairo January 28, 2011. President Hosni Mubarak sent troops and armoured cars onto the streets of Cairo and other Egyptian cities on Friday in an attempt to quell street fighting and mass protests demanding an end to his 30-year rule. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis

81. Protesters stand near the burning headquarters of the ruling National Democratic Party in Cairo January 28, 2011. The headquarters of the ruling National Democratic Party were ablaze in Cairo on Friday night, shortly after a curfew came into force. NDP branch offices in several other cities around the country were also set on fire or attacked during the day, witnesses said. REUTERS/Asma Waguih

82. Protesters stand near the burning headquarters of the ruling National Democratic Party in Cairo January 28, 2011. The headquarters of the ruling National Democratic Party were ablaze in Cairo on Friday night, shortly after a curfew came into force. NDP branch offices in several other cities around the country were also set on fire or attacked during the day, witnesses said. REUTERS/Asma Waguih

83. Protesters stand near the burning headquarters of the ruling National Democratic Party in Cairo January 28, 2011. The headquarters of the ruling National Democratic Party were ablaze in Cairo on Friday night, shortly after a curfew came into force. NDP branch offices in several other cities around the country were also set on fire or attacked during the day, witnesses said. REUTERS/Asma Waguih

84. A protester burns a picture of Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak during clashes in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

85. Protesters stand near a burning police vehicle in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

86. A protester looks at a burnt Egyptian Army armoured vehicle in downtown Cairo January 28, 2011. President Hosni Mubarak ordered troops into Egyptian cities on Friday in an attempt to quell street fighting and growing mass protests demanding an end to his 30-year rule. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

87. A protester sets fire to the entrance of the ruling National Democratic Party building in Cairo January 28, 2011. President Hosni Mubarak ordered troops into Egyptian cities on Friday in an attempt to quell street fighting and growing mass protests demanding an end to his 30-year rule. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

88. Protesters stand in front of a burnt Egyptian Army armoured vehicle in downtown Cairo January 28, 2011. President Hosni Mubarak ordered troops into Egyptian cities on Friday in an attempt to quell street fighting and growing mass protests demanding an end to his 30-year rule. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

89. A protester walks in front of a fire in downtown Cairo January 28, 2011. President Hosni Mubarak ordered troops into Egyptian cities on Friday in an attempt to quell street fighting and growing mass protests demanding an end to his 30-year rule. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

90. A protester walks in front of a fire in downtown Cairo January 28, 2011. President Hosni Mubarak ordered troops into Egyptian cities on Friday in an attempt to quell street fighting and growing mass protests demanding an end to his 30-year rule. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

91. A protester flashes a victory sign in front of police during clashes in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

92. Protesters flee through a cloud of tear gas during clashes in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

93. Protesters flee from charging police during clashes in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

94. Police beat a protester during clashes in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

95. A protester kisses a police officer during a demonstration in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

96. Martina Bashai (L), Mariam Aziz (C) of Washington, D.C., and Tamer ElAzzony (R) of Virginia shout during a protest rally organized by the Egyptian Association for Change in the U.S. (EAC-USA) in front of the White House in Washington January 28, 2011. The United States increased pressure on Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak Friday to institute reforms, urging the government to view its people as a partner not a threat during unprecedented protests in Cairo. REUTERS/Hyungwon Kang

97. People shout anti-Mubarak slogans and wave Egypt flags during a protest rally organized by the Egyptian Association for Change in the U.S. (EAC-USA) in front of the White House in Washington January 28, 2011. The United States increased pressure on Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak Friday to institute reforms, urging the government to view its people as a partner not a threat during unprecedented protests in Cairo. REUTERS/Hyungwon Kang

98. A plainclothes police officer points his weapon at protesters while guarding a police station during demonstrations in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

99. Protesters run next to a burning police van set on fire earlier by protesters in Suez January 28, 2011. President Hosni Mubarak imposed a curfew and ordered troops to back up police as they struggled to control crowds who flooded the streets of Cairo and other Egyptian cities on Friday to demand that he step down. REUTERS/Mohamed Abdel Ghany

100. Protesters march during an anti-government demonstration in Suez January 28, 2011. Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak said he was committed to economic and political reform and was determined to secure the stability of Egypt in a televised address to the nation after a day of anti-government protests. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany

101. Smoke covers the sky during clashes between police and protesters in Suez January 28, 2011. Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak said he was committed to economic and political reform and was determined to secure the stability of Egypt in a televised address to the nation after a day of anti-government protests. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany

102. Protesters carry a carpet with an image of Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak, with a shoe placed on it, in Suez January 28, 2011. Mubarak imposed a curfew and ordered troops to back up police as they struggled to control crowds who flooded the streets of Cairo and other Egyptian cities on Friday to demand that he step down. REUTERS/Mohamed Abdel Ghany

103. Protesters stand in front of the burning entrance of the ruling National Democratic Party building in Cairo January 28, 2011. President Hosni Mubarak ordered troops into Egyptian cities on Friday in an attempt to quell street fighting and growing mass protests demanding an end to his 30-year rule. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

104. In this still image taken from video, Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak addresses the nation on Egyptian state TV in Cairo January 28, 2011. Mubarak called for dialogue and said he would name a new government on January 29, 2011. REUTERS/Handout

105. Veiled Egyptian women run into a mosque to avoid teargas during clashes in Cairo January 28, 2011. President Hosni Mubarak said on Saturday that Egypt needed dialogue not violence to end problems that led to days of protests and said he was sacking his government, speaking in an address on state television. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis

106. A protester attends to an injured man during clashes in Cairo January 28, 2011. President Hosni Mubarak said on Saturday that Egypt needed dialogue not violence to end problems that led to days of protests and said he was sacking his government, speaking in an address on state television. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis

107. Protesters stand in front of a police water cannon during clashes in Cairo January 28, 2011. President Hosni Mubarak said on Saturday that Egypt needed dialogue not violence to end problems that led to days of protests and said he was sacking his government, speaking in an address on state television. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis

108. A protester stands in front of riot police and a water cannon outside a mosque after Friday prayers in Cairo January 28, 2011. President Hosni Mubarak said on Saturday that Egypt needed dialogue not violence to end problems that led to days of protests and said he was sacking his government, speaking in an address on state television. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis

109. Egyptian soldiers stand on top of an armoured vehicle in Cairo January 29, 2011. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak clung to power on Saturday as protesters took to the streets again to demand that he quit. Mubarak ordered troops and tanks into the capital Cairo and other cities overnight and imposed a curfew in an attempt to quell demonstrations that have shaken the Arab world's most populous nation, a key U.S. ally, to the core. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

110. Egyptian army soldiers stand beside an armoured tank at Tahrir Square after wide-spread protests in downtown Cairo January 29, 2011. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak refused on Saturday to bow to demands that he resign after ordering troops and tanks into cities in an attempt to quell an explosion of street protests against his 30-year rule. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

111. An Egyptian army soldier sit by a pavement after after clashing with protesters at Tahrir Square after wide-spread protests in downtown Cairo January 29, 2011. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak refused on Saturday to bow to demands that he resign after ordering troops and tanks into cities in an attempt to quell an explosion of street protests against his 30-year rule. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

112. Egyptian army soldiers confront riot police as protesters take cover at Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo after wide-spread protests early January 29, 2011. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak refused on Saturday to bow to demands that he resign after ordering troops and tanks into cities in an attempt to quell an explosion of street protests against his 30-year rule. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

113. An Egyptian anti-government protester shields himself during clashes with riot police at Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo after wide-spread protests early January 29, 2011. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak refused on Saturday to bow to demands that he resign after ordering troops and tanks into cities in an attempt to quell an explosion of street protests against his 30-year rule. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

114. Riot police gesture while holding their guns during a protest by anti-government demonstrators at Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo after wide-spread protests early January 29, 2011. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak refused on Saturday to bow to demands that he resign after ordering troops and tanks into cities in an attempt to quell an explosion of street protests against his 30-year rule. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

115. An Egyptian anti-government protester sits next to Egyptian army soldiers at Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo after wide-spread protests early January 29, 2011. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak refused on Saturday to bow to demands that he resign after ordering troops and tanks into cities in an attempt to quell an explosion of street protests against his 30-year rule. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

116. An Egyptian anti-government protester shields himself during clashes with riot police at Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo after wide-spread protests early January 29, 2011. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak refused on Saturday to bow to demands that he resign after ordering troops and tanks into cities in an attempt to quell an explosion of street protests against his 30-year rule. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

117. Protesters cheer for the army soldiers in central Cairo January 29, 2011. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak refused on Saturday to bow to demands that he resign after ordering troops and tanks into cities in an attempt to quell an explosion of street protests against his 30-year rule. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis

118. Protesters parade with Egyptian flags in Cairo January 29, 2011. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak refused on Saturday to bow to demands that he resign after ordering troops and tanks into cities in an attempt to quell an explosion of street protests against his 30-year rule. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis

119. Protesters cheer for the army soldiers in central Cairo January 29, 2011. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak refused on Saturday to bow to demands that he resign after ordering troops and tanks into cities in an attempt to quell an explosion of street protests against his 30-year rule. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis

120. A youth takes photos of the burning building of the ruling National Democratic party in Cairo January 29, 2011. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak refused on Saturday to bow to demands that he resign after ordering troops and tanks into cities in an attempt to quell an explosion of street protests against his 30-year rule. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis

121. Protesters flee from tear gas fire during clashes in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

Defiant Mubarak vows to finish term

Violence erupts in Alexandria shortly after Egyptian president's announcement that he will not seek another term. Al Jazeera Online Producer Last Modified: 02 Feb 2011 02:25 GMT Email Article Print Article Share Article Send Feedback

Mubarak's televised announcement came after eight days of unprecedented nationwide protests [EPA] CAIRO, EGYPT - Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president, has announced in a televised address that he will not run for re-election but refused to step down from office - the central demand of millions of protesters who have demonstrated across Egypt over the past week. His announcement follows a week of protests, in which millions of people have taken to the streets in Cairo and elsewhere. Mubarak seemed largely unfazed by the protests during his recorded address, which aired at 11pm local time on Tuesday. Shortly after his speech, clashes broke out between pro-Mubarak and anti-government protesters in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, Al Jazeera's correspondent reported.   Update: Egypt protests   Unrest in social media   Debate: First Tunisia, now Egypt?   Can Egyptians revolt?   Egypt’s protests on Twitter   Pictures: Anger in Egypt Rock-throwing youths at the city's Mahatit Masr Square scattered as automatic gunfire rang out and a tank advanced towards them before halting and then withdrawing. There was no sign of any casualties. Mubarak's words were unlikely to carry much weight with the protesters at Cairo's Tahrir, or Liberation, Square: they resumed their "Leave, Mubarak!" chant shortly after his speech, and added a few new slogans, like "we won't leave tomorrow, we won't leave Thursday ..." Mubarak mentioned the protests at the beginning of his speech, and said that "the young people" have the right to peaceful demonstrations. But his tone quickly turned accusatory, saying the protesters had been "taken advantage of" by people trying to "undermine the government". Until now officials had indicated Mubarak, 82, was likely to run for a sixth six-year term of office. But in his address on Tuesday, Mubarak said he never intended to run for re-election. "I will use the remaining months of my term in office to fill the people's demands," he said. That would leave Mubarak in charge of overseeing a transitional government until the next presidential election, currently scheduled for September. Economy and jobs Mubarak promised reforms to the constitution, particularly Article 76, which makes it virtually impossible for independent candidates to run for office. And he said his government would focus on improving the economy and providing jobs. "My new government will be responsive to the needs of young people," he said. "It will fulfil those legitimate demands and help the return of stability and security." People power View: Mapping Egypt's uprising   Cairo: More than a million people gathered in and around Tahrir Square   Alexandria: Hundreds of thousands of protesters  marched in the city   Sinai: Around 250,000 protesters rallied   El-Mahalla el-Kubra: Up to 250,000 people demonstrated   Hundreds of thousands also marched in Port Said,Suez, and Menya Mubarak also made a point of saying that he would "die in this land" - a message to protesters that he did not plan to flee into exile like recently deposed Tunisian president, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. Marwan Bishara, Al Jazeera's senior political analyst, said: "It is clear that President Mubarak is in denial over his legacy. "Until Friday we are probably going to watch a major escalation of tension in events both between the demonstrators on the one hand and the regime of Mubarak on the other." Mohamed ElBaradei, the Egyptian opposition figure who returned to Cairo to take part in the protests, said Mubarak's pledge not to stand again for the presidency was an act of deception. ElBaradei, a Nobel peace prize winner as head of the UN nuclear agency, said if Mubarak did not heed the call to leave power at once, he would be "not only a lame-duck president but a dead man walking". "He's unfortunately going to extend the agony here for another six, seven months. He continues to polarise the country. He continues to get people even more angry and could [resort] to violence," ElBaradei said. Indeed, none of the protesters interviewed by Al Jazeera earlier today said they would accept Mubarak finishing his term in office. "He needs to leave now," Hassan Moussa said in Tahrir Square just hours before Mubarak's announcement. "We won't accept him leaving in September, or handing power to [newly installed vice-president] Omar Suleiman. He needs to leave now." Waiting game The protests continue to feel like a waiting game - as if Mubarak is hoping to simply outlast the crowds amassed at Tahrir Square. "When the people of a nation decide something, then it will happen," Abdullah Said Ahmed, a student from Al-Azhar University, said. "The United States chooses its leaders. We're going to choose ours. Our patience can do anything." Our producer in Egypt reports on the latest developments Saber Shanan said: "I'll stay here until I die or until the system changes." Mubarak's announcement came after pressure from the US administration, which urged him not to seek re-election. Frank Wisner, a former ambassador to Egypt, met Mubarak on Monday and reportedly told him not to extend his time in office. In remarks to the media at the White House on Tuesday evening, Barack Obama, the US president, said he had spoken with Mubarak who he said "recognises that the status quo is not sustainable and a change must take place". Obama said he told Mubarak that an orderly transition must be meaningful and peaceful, must begin now and must include opposition parties. Obama emphasised, however, that "it is not the role of any other country to determine Egypt's leaders".

Source: Al Jazeera and agencies

Mohamed Bouazizi & Tunisian Uprising Getting Film Treatment

By Tambay, on February 1st, 2011

The story goes… in December 2010, Mohamed Bouazizi was a college-educated 26-year-old Tunisian (the North African country on the Mediterranean sea), who, like millions of other angry, frustrated and resentful Tunisians, faced the unpleasant combination of unemployment  and rising inflation, at the hands of a government seen as corrupt and dictatorial.

To make ends meet, Bouazizi sold fruits and vegetables from a cart, though he didn’t have a license to see, which led to his produce being confiscated by authorities, further enraging an already incensed Bouazizi, who then soaked himself in gasoline and set himself on fire just outside the governor’s office.

Bouazizi survived the initial attempt, but would later die, on January 4th,  in a hospital near Tunis, after he was visited by President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali.

Bouazizi’s act and death inspired widespread revolt, and 10 days later, on January 14, amid escalating violence and opposition, the President fled the country.

During Bouazizi’s funeral, it was reported that marchers chanted “farewell, Mohamed, we will avenge you. We weep for you today, we will make those who caused your death weep.”

Today brings news that a feature film based on Bouazizi’s story, and the eventual overthrow of the Tunisian government, will be made into a film.

 

Tarak Ben Ammar, nephew of Tunisia’s first independent president Habib Bourguiba, and owner of French production and distribution company Quinta Communications, will finance and produce.

“Mohamed Bouazizi has become a hero for us as Tunisians and the Arab world as a whole… He performed the ultimate self-sacrifice and in doing so he opened up the eyes and heart of a nation to the injustice all around them. He did it by sacrificing himself, not by hurting anyone else,” Ben Ammar said in a statement.

Watch the Al Jazeera report below for more:

Celebrating Black History Month in New York City

Tuesday, February 01, 2011

By WNYC Culture

• Enlarge

  "Go" by Kehinde Wiley (Brooklyn Museum)

There's no shortage of edifying, educating and exciting events happening in New York City this February to mark Black History Month. Here are a few recommendations from the WNYC Culture team.

Honoring W.E.B. Du Bois, at the Brooklyn Public Library Visit the Dweck Center at the BPL's Central branch throughout February to celebrate educator and activist W.E.B. Du Bois. The scholar’s work and legacy will be discussed on February 6 and 13, and on February 27, scholars Horace G. Campbell and Carina Ray consider Du Bois’ efforts to realize African unity. All three events start at 1:30 P.M. Free, in Brooklyn.

Celebrate Black History Month, at the Brooklyn Museum The Brooklyn Museum devotes its First Saturday events this February 6 to Black History Month. Highlights include a performance of jazz and hip-hop by the Igmar Thomas Group; the screening of the Haitian music documentary "The Other Side of the Water;" and a sign-language interpreted talk on the work of printmaker Eldzier Cortor. The museum also celebrates Black History through its top-notch collection of pieces by African-American artists, including Kehinde Wiley and Kara Walker. Admission to First Saturdays is free, in Brooklyn.

Black Brooklyn Renaissance, at the BAMcafé Live This month, the Brooklyn Arts Council closes out Black Brooklyn Renaissance, Black Arts + Culture, 1960-2010, a year-long project that celebrates art from Brooklyn's African diaspora. On February 11, drummer Talu Green performs with the Brown Memorial Baptist Church gospel group Singers with a Testimony (S.W.A.T.) and spoken-word artist Climbing Poetree. The February 12 show includes performances from tap dancer Michela Marino Lerman, Rwandan jazz soul singer Somi and dancer-choreographer Francine Ott. Free, in Brooklyn.

ActNow: New Voices in Black Cinema, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music BAM launches a five-day film festival beginning on February 4 that celebrates up-and-coming black filmmakers and looks back at the greats. New narrative features and documentaries like "Night Catches Us" by Melissa Anderson and Ava DuVernay's "I Will Follow" (still at right) will be presented alongside classics such as Wendell B. Harris, Jr.’s "Chameleon Street." $12 per movie, in Brooklyn.

Let's get creative!, at the Bronx Wakefield branch of the New York Public Library Parents, bring your kids to 4100 Lowerre Place on February 3 at 4 P.M. for a free arts and crafts program in honor of Black History Month. Free, in the Bronx.

Stargazers: Elizabeth Catlett in Conversation with 21 Contemporary Artists, at the Bronx Museum The Bronx Museum celebrates Black History Month on February 6 with a new Elizabeth Catlett exhibit, a DJ set by photographer Xaviera Simmons and printmaking activities for kids. In addition to sculptures (one is pictured left), prints and drawings by Catlett, who is 95 years old, Stargazers features work by 21 other artists, including Hank Willis Thomas and Carrie Mae Weems. The two-hour event starts at 2 P.M. Free, in the Bronx.

Harlem on My Mind, at the Peninsula branch of the Queens Public Library The Xoregos Performing Company puts on a show of four short plays and songs by Duke Ellington, Fats Waller and Irving Berlin to celebrate the Harlem Renaissance on February 5. Free, in Queens.

Step Afrika!, at Flushing Town Hall On February 13, African step dance takes the Flushing Town Hall stage. After the 3:30 P.M. performance, dancers offer to teach their moves in a step workshop. $12, in Queens.

Black History Month Youth Film Series, at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture From February 14 through 18, the Schomburg Center will be screening films telling the stories of Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks and other freedom fighters. Michel Octet's film "Kirikou and the Sorceress" about the spell set on an African village closes out the week of empowering movies. Free, but registration is required, in Manhattan.

A Tribute to Paul Robeson, at the World Financial Center Winter Garden The New York Opera Society presents a concert tribute to activist and performer Paul Robeson on February 16 at 7 P.M. On the playlist are "Ol' Man River," "All Through the Night" and Mendelssohn’s Elijah, among others. Free, in Manhattan.

A Black History Month Birthday Celebration for Langston Hughes, at Harlem's Countee Cullen Library “The night is beautiful/So the faces of my people,” wrote the legendary Langston Hughes. Although Hughes was actually born on February 1, the New York Public Library's Countee Cullen branch celebrates the birthday of the man largely considered “Harlem’s poet laureate” on February 5, with a performance by actor Anthony Thompson Adeagbo and photographer portraitist Renaldo Davidson. Separately, the branch also presents the winners of its annual Black History Month Poetry Contest on February 23 at 2 P.M. Submissions of typed original verse on this year’s theme—"The Contributions of People of African Descent"—will be accepted via e-mail (countee_cullen@nypl.org) and in person through February 9. Free, in Manhattan.

Historic Harlem walking tour, run by the Big Onion If you're up for a walk, give Big Onion a call to take you on a historic walking tour of Harlem. If you're lucky, the tour will take you places where W.E.B. Du Bois, Madame C.J. Walker and Malcolm X have walked. $15, in Manhattan.

What Women Have to Do With It: A Response to Chrystia Freeland’s Rise of the New Global Elite.

Chrystia Freeland at The Atlantic has written an interesting article “Rise of the New Global Elite” analyzing the new transnational elite.

Her main points are that in the US we are “plutocracy, in which the rich display outsize political influence, narrowly self-interested motives, and a casual indifference to anyone outside their own rarefied economic bubble” that the members who comprise this elite group are are becoming a “transglobal community of peers who have more in common with one another than with their countrymen back home. Whether they maintain primary residences in New York or Hong Kong, Moscow or Mumbai, today’s super-rich are increasingly a nation unto themselves.”

She argues that the reason why wealth accumulation in 2011 is different from other periods in history is that “The rise of the new plutocracy is inextricably connected to two phenomena: the revolution in information technology and the liberalization of global trade.” While this is true another material factor influencing global accumulation of capital has been the low to nearly no wages of women factory workers gobaly in China, Mexico, India, Pakistan, Bangledesh, Haiti, Jamaica and the Phillpines.

My understanding of women and labor comes from Rhacel Parrenas’ book Servants of Globalization: Women, Migration and Domestic Work and Chandra Mohanty’s Feminism Without Borders. Parrenas states that global capitalism functions through and maintains and overarching world-system that organizes nations into unequal relations and creates a larger structural linkage between sending and receiving countries in migration. To put it another way, countries look the way that they do because they are apart of a system designed to get the most profit at all times. If we look at various countries at the same time, then we get a clearer picture of why Haiti looks the way it does versus why Venezuela looks the way it does. Why Egypt looks the way it does versus the United States and so on.

What do women have to do with it?

If we take women workers out of the equation then global profits seem like they magically appear from Pluto. Or they seem to be a consequence of technology or they are a function of Wall Street.

The reality is there 40% of the global population lives off of $2 per day, many of these people are women and children workers. In Feminism Without Borders Mohanty quotes Zilla Eisenstein who states that “women do two thirds of the worlds work and earn less than one-tenth of the income.” This is some serious wage inequity which could buy a lot of child care, food, pay some mortgages and send some people to grade school through college.

In short in many ways the global accumulation of capital and profits pivots on the labor of women, largely comprised of women of color.

Again, the work of women is central to the rise of the new global elite. Someone has to assemble our phones, gadgets, tv and clothing. And I say this not to run some sort of guilt trip, as that wouldn’t be useful to neither you or me. I say it make the women who do this work visible. Often times the work of women is neither unrecognized, unacknowledged and it is often underpaid.

Back to the article.

I learned two significant things from this article. The first was that transnational conferences are in many ways the new status symbol for the transglobal elite.The second is that the status symbols aren’t just jets and international vacations but “a philanthropic foundation—and, more than that, one actively managed in ways that show its sponsor has big ideas for reshaping the world.”

If you shape ideas, you can shape society, how people think.

This makes sense. A year ago I said in a post about Beyonce that culture is hegemony’s goon. This is also the reason why I contended seriously with Jeff Chang’s idea of culture before politics in this post I wrote last month along with Rob Bland.

This article is also significant because we never get to hear about the day to day lives of the people who run the corporations and institutions that shape our lives. In this article we hear their voices. Freeland demonstrates this when she writes,

“The circles we move in, Hutchins explains, are defined by “interests” and “activities” rather than “geography”: “Beijing has a lot in common with New York, London, or Mumbai. You see the same people, you eat in the same restaurants, you stay in the same hotels. But most important, we are engaged as global citizens in crosscutting commercial, political, and social matters of common concern. We are much less place-based than we used to be.”

This is really good narrative.

At last summer’s Aspen Ideas Festival, Michael Splinter, CEO of the Silicon Valley green-tech firm Applied Materials, said that if he were starting from scratch, only 20 percent of his workforce would be domestic. “This year, almost 90 percent of our sales will be outside the U.S.,” he explained. “The pull to be close to the customers—most of them in Asia—is enormous.” Speaking at the same conference, Thomas Wilson, CEO of Allstate, also lamented this global reality: “I can get [workers] anywhere in the world. It is a problem for America, but it is not necessarily a problem for American business … American businesses will adapt.”

What is interesting to me about this is that Michael Splinter has basically said that the collapse and elimination of the middle class (to be crude, single family home owners), with an investment in the future of their neighborhood, is basically a part of the process. And if the middle class in the US shrinks but the middle class in India or China grows, then so be it. When I mentioned this to Rob, he said, well he can say that, he isn’t a politician. And I thought, well don’t corporations and employees influence politicians through donations? So then….

In sum, I hope that, in reading this I was able to shed some light the role that women play globally in the rise of the new transnational elite.

Where you aware of the connection between low wage women workers and global profits?

What did you think of the article?

As a man or woman have you learned that you were underpaid, what did you do about it? Did you have evidence?

 

New Model Minority is an ad free blog, because I see this space as an end in and of it self. No sponsors. No corporation. Just Thugs, Feminists and Boom Bap. Feel free to donate, if you feel moved by the work here. More than your donation I want your comments.Enjoy the site. ~Renina

It’s “The Jungle” out there, but we can feast on fresh local food

Mark Moseley, January 31, 2011 5 Comments

By Mark Moseley, The Lens opinion writer |

In ninth grade, I asked my classmate Ted why he didn’t eat hot dogs. He claimed he had worked in a hot dog factory the previous summer.

“So?” I asked.

Imagine being shirtless in a stinking hot warehouse, Ted said. You’re knee-deep in strange meat, and have to pitch it into a vat with a snow shovel. Occasionally you’ll see something in the goop that looks like a thumb, but you have to hold down the vomit until break-time.

OK, so maybe Ted was fibbing. But the image in his tall tale stayed with me, and for years, I checked my hot dogs for signs of knuckles. Finally I solved the problem by always topping my wieners with canned chili and artificial cheese – so I wouldn’t knowingly ingest anything gross.

In retrospect, those days seem so simple. “Meat” was a straightforward term. Meat was… well, it was meat. For instance, if you couldn’t find the beef in your burger, it was because the patty was too small, not because the beef was fake. Granted, there were a few mysteries at the far ends of the meat spectrum – but they were obvious outliers like cheap hot dogs, spam, or those inscrutable school lunch entrees.  Broadly speaking, the concept of “meat” didn’t stump anyone.

Times are changing, though, and food is changing –  mostly for the worse. Last week, everyone was talking about this news story:

[A class-action suit] objects to Taco Bell calling its products “seasoned ground beef or seasoned beef, when in fact a substantial amount of the filling contains substances other than beef.”
…
Just 35 percent of the taco filling was a solid, and just 15 percent overall was protein, said attorney W. Daniel “Dee” Miles III of the Montgomery, Ala., law firm Beasley Allen, which filed the suit.
…
Apparently, the industry — and Taco Bell internally — calls the substance “taco meat filling,” avoiding the word “beef,” according to the suit.

However, even that term is supposed to be used for products that are at least 40 percent beef. Taco Bell’s taco filling falls short of that definition too, Miles said.

The lawsuit says that Taco Bell’s “beef” is overwhelmingly non-meat, and shouldn’t even qualify as meat filling. Gross. I suppose vegetarians can take small comfort in the fact that Taco Bell’s beef might contain two-thirds less murder than previously assumed. Otherwise, I don’t see much upside.

Some dismissed the Taco Bell story, saying, “Whaddya expect? It’s fast food.”

But if it’s truly so unsurprising, then why all the fuss? More importantly, do we really believe there is such a vast difference between fast food and supermarket food? The gap is probably much smaller than we’d like to believe, and it’s narrowing. For example, this New York Times article on beef didn’t provoke the national conversation that the Taco Bell story did. And it should have. The article confirmed some of the disturbing findings from a 2008 documentary titled Food, Inc. in regards to how ground beef is currently manufactured:

Beef Products Inc., had been looking to expand into the hamburger business with a product made from beef that included fatty trimmings the industry once relegated to pet food and cooking oil. The trimmings were particularly susceptible to contamination, but a study commissioned by the company showed that [their] ammonia process would kill E. coli as well as salmonella.
…
With the U.S.D.A.’s stamp of approval, the company’s processed beef has become a mainstay in America’s hamburgers. McDonald’s, Burger King and other fast-food giants use it as a component in ground beef…

But that’s just fast food, right?

…as do grocery chains.

Oh dear.

So our USDA-approved beef contains pink slime made from fatty meat scraps, bathed in ammonia and added to our ground beef to keep it cheap. It’s sent to fast food restaurants, as well grocery stores.

Conveniently, that fact becomes part of Taco Bell’s defense. They claim that their seasoned beef recipe is actually 88 percent “quality USDA-inspected beef” which “includes ingredients you’d find in your home or in the supermarket aisle today.” How reassuring.

Don’t you just hate it when you’re cooking beef at home and realize you’ve run out of maltodextrin? It’s embarrassing to have to walk next door and ask your pre-diabetic neighbor for a cup. (Here’s a list of other wholesome ingredients in a Taco Bell “meal,” so you can complete your spice cabinet.)

Seriously, when Taco Bell compares its ingredients to the ones found in your home or supermarket, the really disturbing thought should be – what if they’re telling the truth?

In the documentary Food Inc., there’s a scene where a Beef Products executive is in a factory “straight out of Chaplin’s Modern Times,” standing in front of blocks of ammonia-treated “beef:”

“This is our finished product,” the executive declares. He then claims that the product ends up in 70 percent of hamburgers served in the U.S. “In five years we’ll be in 100 percent,” he predicts.

It’s baffling that we tolerate this. There seems to be an immense dissonance between the information in our heads and the weird stuff we put in our mouths.

New Orleans writer James Reeves describes this condition in a gorgeously disturbing essay titled ”Panic in Aisle Five.” Please read it. Reeves recounts driving through a western desert with a stomach full of fast food. Then he comes upon an apocalyptic vista:

Must be hallucinating. … There’s no sign of life on these hot yellow plains except for this crazy stadium filled with moving dots. Something’s kicking up big clouds of dust and the scene looks absolutely Roman. The dots are cows. Thousands of them. Maybe hundreds of thousands. They’re packed tight and moving in spooky concentric formations like a hypnotist’s pinwheel while giant cannons power-spray waves of feed across their heads and backsides. I hit the brakes and hop a wooden fence for a closer look. Their eyes are glassy and their stomachs and pink parts drag along the ground, etching patterns in the dust. The stench hits like a suckerpunch. Chemical. Ammonia. Yellow smoke belches from a silo in the distance. My mind flashes on ground beef and rendering plants, on triple deluxe patties and automated killing machines.

Four hours later, Reeves is eating chicken fried steak. He reflects about how his “moments of anxious concern” about food are often overcome by his “willful ambivalence:”

Sometimes I look down at my plate and panic. What is this? How did it get here? I promise myself that I will eat healthier. And then I don’t. But it’s not just a matter of health. My panic is complex. These days, eating is more than a simple question of “What am I putting in my body?” It’s a political, economic, ethical, legal, and chemical question which requires a level of vigilance that I don’t yet possess.

I can relate to Reeves’ confession. Like him, I too often indulge in quick, cheap food. But I don’t want to think about dazed cattle and silos billowing yellow smoke. That doesn’t whet my appetite. Nor does the smell of floor cleaner.

It’s hideous to think that even “regular” old factory farm beef is now deemed too expensive for the average consumer, and has to be cut with reconfigured meat scraps bathed in ammonia. Surely it’s time we rethink things.

Luckily, South Louisiana cuisine is powered by traditional cooking and local ingredients. Monday’s beans and rice simmers throughout the afternoon, and fresh seafood is abundant. We understand there are no shortcuts to quality, and quality food is non-negotiable here. Cheapening a dish with foreign ingredients or newfangled “binders or extenders” would be unthinkable.

Pardon me while I sip my chicory coffee.

OK, let me amend that last thought. If we do use an extender, we have a damn good reason for doing so.

I hate to think we’re bowing to outside forces and are becoming like the rest of America: addicted to cheap, chemically treated, sugar-spiked Frankenfood. However, if supermarkets are indeed becoming more like fast-food restaurants, then it seems like only a matter of time before our tastes become commodified and Americanized. And that’s unacceptable.

I think we all understand that we cast economic “votes” with our dollars. And I believe we will make sacrifices, if need be, in order to afford quality food. But we need direction and clarity in order to make informed food votes.

“Fresh and local” is easy to say, but not always easy to find – especially on a budget. That’s why Reeves panicked in aisle five. We need clear, straightforward ideas about how to fight back, in order to maintain the integrity of our cuisine.

Off the top of my head, here are a few changes I know I can do with little effort.

1. I can plan ahead so that I have a sandwich handy at lunchtime, and I won’t succumb to the fast food drive-through.
2. Instead of shopping at the farmer’s market for one meal per week, I’ll make it two.
3. To cut down on the factory farm beef at the grocery, I’ll buy organic, farm-raised stuff.
4. To afford that, I’ll double the number of vegetarian meals I eat per week.

What else do you suggest?

One local initiative suggested by Jordan Shay caught my eye. Shay chronicles her urban farming adventures at the Front Yard Farmer blog. It’s addictive reading – seductively subversive, even. Somewhere in Broadmoor, Shay has grown numerous crops and raised pigs and rabbits (and then eaten them).

Her latest mission involves guerrilla gardening. Shay plans to unilaterally “take back” the neutral ground on her street, and plant citrus trees and blueberry bushes where there are now weeds and gravel. Between the trees, she’ll install some planters for cabbage and other veggies.

I actually like this small step she’s making toward sustainability. Obviously, it’s not the only answer –  we can’t all grow crops and raise pigs in our back yards. But many of us can, and just the example of urban farming seems worthwhile to me, so that we can remind ourselves (and our children) about the value of local, fresh, un-modified food. This is what we celebrate. This is what we prefer. We’ll pay more in dollars or sweat to ensure it, because it’s better than ammoniated factory farm products cut with weird fillers.

Don’t you agree?