I'm not going to take it anymore!

"We can wait for the police to kill us because we have no place to go." Ruba Michael

I didn't know that coming to Egypt would also mean the start of my investigative journalism career, but so it has. After hearing rumors from some Sudanese in my English classes and some questions over my refugee class listserv, last night's class was devoted to discussing and clarifying the information about a Sudanese protest that has been going on now for two weeks in front of the offices of the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). There are many startling aspects about this, as my teacher, who is somewhat of a celebrity in the world of refugee issues, related to us. She cannot think of any other protest by refugees of this magnitude that has not been immediately been broken up by police anywhere in the world. There could be, but we just don't know about them. The fact that numbers ranging from 500- 1200 have been sitting and sleeping in the public park in front of the building for two weeks without mass arrests or conflicts with police is unheard of. Last year the refugees tried to hold a similar protest but were broken up immediately by police with force, and according to one of the refugees I talked with today, with smoke and boiling water. The anti-Mubarak protests last May also featured police brutality, but probably because of the negative international press the protests on Election Day were peaceful. The orders for the police not to do anything may have something to do with that press, the parliamentary elections coming up, or Egyptian anger at the UNHCR, too. When I went there we had some troubles with the police about entering the garden, but they were soon appeased. I was really worried about possible confiscation of my recording equipment, but everything turned out to be fine and the head of police there even asked us not to portray them as beggars.

Ok. Wait, Helen, you went? Police? Calm down, I'm backing up : ) My teacher has had an African newspaper request that an article be written about it, so she commissioned people in our class to do the research, talk to her, and then write it. Last night I made plans with about 8 other people to come today and check things out and interview people, and have just gotten back from being there. I'm pretty mentally and emotionally exhausted right now so I'm just going to provide a link to two articles that talk about their demands (before our infinitely better and incredible article is written.... )
http://www.sudantribune.com/article.php3?id_article=12016
http://www.cairomagazine.com/?module=displaystory&story_id=1438&format=html

At the end I ran into one of my students who called out "Teacher" and started talking to me and my friend Alex about how America is wonderful and perfect and if Bush said "Look at the Sudanese" then all the problems would be solved, and that Alex or I could be President if we wanted and that we can do anything we want because we're American. It sounds crazy and like cotton candy, but I can imagine it being true compared to these smart and extremely capable men and women who are sitting around telling me about their husbands killed in the war and the men who have wounded or tortured them, and their inability to get jobs, and their frustration that their kids can't go to school or walk around freely.

My teacher was clearly against the protest, saying that it wasn't going to do them any good, and that the stalemate between UNHCR (who have closed offices this entire week) and the refugees isn't going anywhere, which certainly doesn't make things feel any better.

They'll keep waiting.