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“I Either Leave Here Free or Dead”: Egyptian Protester Refuses to Leave Tahrir Square Despite Violent Attacks by Mubarak Supporters

Web ExclusiveFebruary 02, 2011
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Egyptian protester Nazly Hussein describes bloodshed in Cairo and the role of the United States in funding the violent oppression by the Egyptian government.

NAZLY HUSSEIN: I am Nazly Hussein. I was at a medical center about half an hour ago. People come in with all kinds of injuries. People are dead. I tried to get a count of how many people are dead, and I couldn’t.

This is unbelievable. We are surrounded from all directions with thugs. A lot of them were caught. A lot of them belong obviously to National Democratic Party or to police forces. I don’t know if this is documented. I saw cards, identity cards of people in the police forces.

We’ve been on the square for the past few days. I slept in the middle of the square for four nights. I felt extremely safe, extremely safe. Today, the army was surrounding us, and there was also night watch. People had their shifts, and they were watching the square.

Today, there were demonstrations. They came in the form of demonstrations, pro-Mubarak demonstrations. And then all of a sudden — and then we had taken — everyone met and talked and said people can come in and demonstrate for Mubarak. It’s freedom of expression. [inaudible], as well. And then, all of a sudden, they have knives. They have — right now they’re throwing fire balls. They’re throwing all kinds of things, all kinds of things, at us, Molotovs, everything, everything. Things are on fire around us. The army is trying to keep them out. But they’re not doing much. When they come really, really close, shoot in the air for people to back off. But they’ve been surrounding us all day, all day, all day. People in the middle of the square are terrified. And on the outskirts, around all the entrances and exits, we’re all protesting there, but people come back really, really injured. I didn’t go to the front line, to be honest. But people come back really, really injured.

The international community must come out and say, “Enough is enough. Enough is enough” Taxpayers in the United States must know where their money is going. We’ve been hit with all kinds of weapons, all made in the United States of America. And this is all documented. I’m sure you’ve seen pictures and video. There’s tear gas canisters that were exported in 2003 — and there’s a warning: do not use after 2003 — were made in the U.S.A. The rubber bullets were also made in the U.S.A. The [inaudible] bullets, I don’t know what they’re called, the ones that shatter into a million bullets, also made in the U.S.A. The taxpayers’ money are being part and they’re contributing to my oppression. This needs to stop. For people who call for democracy and for freedom of expression and for all kinds of rights, this needs to stop. There needs to be an end to this.

We’ve been out here about — I don’t know how long now. I’ve lost track. About eight days. I’ve been on the square. I’m not leaving. I’m not leaving. I either leave here free or dead. I either leave here free or dead.

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