Kifaya Demonstrators Attacked

A note on what I've been told about yesterday's demonstration: Most significantly, security troops were not around at any place along a route that took demonstrators from Tahrir to Talaat Harb to Attaba to Faruk. That's a clever move by the government to keep attention on the elections instead of activist-bashing. Indeed, most forces were busy covering election points anyway. Everything went peaceful until the demonstrators were in Attaba where thugs attacked the demonstrators. The rout ahead was blocked by fences put up by the police. Protestors gathered again outside the journalist's syndicate. AP says there were 3,000 demonstrators, I'm told there were no more than 300 at any point, with one or two hundred extras following the people train from the side at various occasions. Small groups of young men tried to intimidate the Kifaya protestors at Tahrir, posing as Mubarak supporters but really just in for the fun and attention. Photo: AP

Rallying the masses from his wheel-chair, held up by fellow protestors.
Photo: AP

Passionate about her cause.
Photo: AP

Independent:
Activists defy protest ban as Egypt votes in 'false' election
Pro-democracy activists defied a ban on demonstrations to protest electoral irregularities as Egypt went to the polls in a multi-party presidential contest marred by blatant, pervasive rigging and intimidation.

Times:
Mubarak set for victory in flawed election
President Hosni Mubarak was heading for a comfortable victory in Egypt’s first multi-candidate presidential elections today.But the experiment in democracy risked being seriously compromised by intimidation, electoral abuse and widespread voter apathy.