While international media coverage of Egypt is still largely obsessed with the Muhammad movie fallout, almost every sector in the country is going strike literally from Alexandria to Aswan, together with shutting down of a large number of schools due to a teachers national strike, simultaneously with shutting down the universities due to workers strikes joined by the students.
The revolution is by no means over. For continuous updates on the industrial actions and protests, follow our official twitter account, our facebook page and website, as well as @EgyStrikes and the diigo group…
My talk to the local and foreign students and faculty, at the American University in Cairo, 12 February 2012.
I received the message below from comrade Youssef…
My name is Youssef Mohamed, AUC junior. This is my testimony about the disciplinary action taken against me by the University.
In the beginning of this semester, I was one of the thousands who participated in the strike. A strike that was calling for the rights of the Desert Development Center workers, custodians, security guards and students. During the strike, and specifically on Monday September 12th, the administration attempted twice to close the only gate opened for students (they had closed all the other gates): Gate 4. The first attempt was at around 10 am. They came with a chain, trying to close the gate denying students access to their university. Knowing how that could disrupt the day and prevent students from attending classes they paid for, some students including myself, decided to prevent them from closing the gate by opening it. And then we agreed that the gate would stay opened for the rest of the day. Later that day, at around 12:30 PM the gate was closed again but this time using a truck. We tried to contact a responsible from the Transportation department, his answer was: “The car broke, we can’t move it.” As a result, and as a way to help the students who were stuck on the gate trying to access their university, we decided to push the truck to open the gate.
A couple of weeks later, I was called on for a hearing about the first incident. I was accused of being violent and of taking matters into my hands. They used a video of me pushing the gate open, and pushing a security guard (he was fighting with a fellow student and I was trying to prevent the fight) to prove their point.
After another couple of weeks, I was called on to a second hearing. In this hearing I was only accused of “taking matters into my own hands” by pushing the truck and of being a terrorist. Yes, I was accused of being a terrorist, but not only me others too. I was asked if I identified myself and my colleagues who were with me at the gate to the director of Safety and Security Dr. Mahmoud EL Zouk as a terrorist. And when I denied, I was asked if I thought if my behavior was a terrorist behavior. And if some of my colleagues had a terrorist behavior. When I started asking them if they were really accusing AUC students of being terrorists, they cut the discussion and started asking other questions. It is worth mentioning that more than a dozen of students pushed this truck.
Finally, I received a letter that says that I have to do 50 hours of community service and attend freedom of expression workshops before the (end) next semester. And now, I have 0 credits and I am unable to register for the next semester. Also I might be facing dismissal.
The German University in Cairo student union leaders held a press conference today, at the AFTEE, to update the public on the latest crackdown by the administration on the students. A protest is planned on campus Monday…
Revolutionary Socialist students taking part in the Maspero march, on Thursday night…
16