The Revolution is Underway in Egypt

Downtown Cairo is essentially shut down. As our correspondent in Cairo suggested last week, public expressions of displeasure with the government have at last gone big in Egypt, with tens of thousands marching in the streets today. There are many pictures on the organizing Facebook site; people are using Twitter as well to share information about how to circumvent government Internet censorship and access information. The protests have turned violent in places, as police push back against crowds; they are using teargas and water cannons, and batons as well. From the AP: “Mothers carrying babies marched and chanted, ‘Revolution until Victory!’ while young men parked their cars on the main street and waved signs reading ‘OUT!’ inspired by the Tunisian protestations of ‘DEGAGE!’ this week. Men were seen spraying graffiti reading ‘Down with Hosni Mubarak.’” Protests are also taking place in Alexandria and other cities and in Lebanon. The Egyptian minister of the interior has issued orders to “arrest any persons expressing their views illegally,” which is pretty much everyone.