I'm glad the protest today was so lively.
A million apologies for doing this but I'm gonna tell you about Romania, because something like that did happen here.
So after more that a thousand people died the dictator and his wife are executed on Christmas 1989.
1990 late January Coal miners are brought in the capital to beat up the members of the historic parties which had been resurrected. State TV interviews miners who say they found guns and drugs at the parties headquarters.
Also they are condemned as fascists and so on.
February the 18th Anticommunists stage a march, occupy the building housing the government; same miners return. Some people are arrested: students, journalists the usual suspects...
The protesters are condemned as hooligans and thugs(Golani).
April 22nd A square, named Universităţii becomes the center of peaceful protest.
A massive show of support from the people, attention of international media and so on preclude repression for a while.
A nice song from that time "better a thug than an activist better homeless then traitor better dead than communist..."
Notice the name tags.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmCR2REua8ghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eiQ4sLsC00Students and others set up tents in the square. On the 20th of May Iliescu, estranged friend of the former dictator is elected president with 90% of the vote for two years.
June 13th
The miners took their time this time. They roamed the streets beating up anybody looking intellectual.
Death to intellectuals and We work we don't think become popular slogans.
They left three days later.
I've been watching the developments in Egypt on al-jazeera...closely.
It's like they give dictators a handbook. Same behavior, better coverage.
I do hope they don't manage to beat back the people. By the looks of things they did that in Tunisia.
One shred of legitimacy and they will repress the revolution. I do hope the people win. But i kind of doubt it. It's like watching a remake of the same film.
Since I can't pray for the protesters I don't know what to to but to keep watching tv while at home.
God speed...