CAIRO: Strong anti-Bush sentiments resonated in Talaat Harb Square in Downtown Cairo yesterday afternoon as roughly 100 protestors gathered to voice their objection to US President George W. Bush’s visit to Egypt as part of his Middle East tour.
Organized by leftist parties a day ahead of the president’s stop in Egypt, the protest saw both men and women, and even children, holding up banners while members of the crowd took turns in leading political chants.
Disapproval of the Egyptian government’s decision to receive Bush was prevalent among the demonstrators, who criticized his Middle East policies.
“He’s been in power for seven years but only now in his final months is he presumably finding solutions for the Middle East conflict,” said Magda Abdel Badir, member of the Progressive Women’s Federation, part of the leftist Al-Tagammu party. “He no longer has any political substance.”
Emotive pan-Arab chants targeted Bush’s policies in Iraq, Iran and Palestine.
“Baghdad is Cairo, and Cairo is Baghdad,” “Down with America, and down with the occupation of Egypt,” “Bush the butcher, sitting comfortably in our country,” and, “Leaders of the Arab states are cowards,” chanted protestors.
Verbal attacks on the Egyptian government also found their way into the protest. Nasserite Party members were particularly vocal, stressing the strength of President Nasser’s stance against America, and referring to the current regime as “terrorist”.
“Bush is killing our brothers and sisters in Palestine and Iraq, and is trying to pressure Arab countries into accepting normalization with Israel,” said Mahmoud Badr, member of the Nasserite Party, “so how can we receive him in our country? Bush and Mubarak are like two sides to the same coin.”
Others had a conflicted stance towards the notorious visit. Mamdouh Nematallah, who refused to affiliate himself with any party and referred to himself as “just an ordinary citizen,” voluntarily approached Daily News Egypt to offer his opinion on the protest.
“They are slandering the government — is this what you call freedom?” he said.
“The United States controls the entire world, and Egypt is a part of that world. How can anyone say no to America?” he continued.
Large numbers of state security forces cordoned off the protestors as soon as they started to gather. Although outnumbering them, there was no violence involved.
People carrying black flags, banners, and satirical flyers portraying President Bush in degrading edited images were silent but powerful participants. One image showed Bush in a belly-dancer’s outfit, while another had him inside a toilet accompanied by the caption, “Flush Bush”.
The protest ended abruptly but voluntarily, without any police intervention. It lasted for about one hour and a half.
