NeutralCitizen
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She has been dubbed “the girl in the blue bra” and has quickly become the symbol for Egyptian protesters trying to end the country’s military power.
In a powerful and graphic video seen around the world, soldiers are seen beating and dragging the woman along the street during a protest. Her clothing is ripped by helmeted soldiers, her midriff exposed and her blue bra is clearly on show as a soldier stomps on her.
The image of her prone, beaten body has shocked the country, and the outpouring of anger has been both internal and international.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed outrage at the woman’s treatment and said it dishonours the country.
“This systematic degradation of Egyptian women dishonours the revolution, disgraces the state and its uniform and is not worthy of a great people,” she said.
“Recent events in Egypt have been particularly shocking. Women are being beaten and humiliated in the same streets where they risked their lives for the revolution only a few short months ago,” Clinton added.
The Egyptian military apologised on Monday, but accused protesters of being provocateurs intent on stirring up unrest.
But with the video galvanising the demonstrations — in which 13 people have died in five days — the Egyptian military was again forced to apologise on Tuesday.
“The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces expresses its strong regret to the great women of Egypt over transgressions that occurred during recent incidents in the protests outside parliament and the cabinet,” it said in the statement.
The military respected women’s right to take part in protests and had taken “all legal measures to hold accountable the people responsible for these violations,” said the statement reported by Agence France-Presse.
In Cairo, 10,000 women protested over the woman’s treatment. Banners were held up showing the woman’s bloodied and stripped body — an image as shocking as it was potent.
“The women of Egypt are a red line,” chanted men and women in Tahrir Square.
Newspapers joined the growing chorus of unrest. “The forces that violate the honour [of women],” read a headline in the independent daily Al-Tahrir above a picture of a soldier grabbing a woman by the hair as another raised a club over her.
They also want the final say in the make-up of a Constitutional Council that will determine the future political system.
It may well be that the continuing protests — with the girl in the blue bra as their symbol — represent the endgame in the struggle between the revolution and the military. But even if the protesters are successful, people like the girl in the blue bra may end up the losers.
In the early rounds of voting, the Islamist parties secured the most votes, and the voices of liberals — and of women – could well be silenced in the new Egypt.
She has been dubbed “the girl in the blue bra” and has quickly become the symbol for Egyptian protesters trying to end the country’s military power.
In a powerful and graphic video seen around the world, soldiers are seen beating and dragging the woman along the street during a protest. Her clothing is ripped by helmeted soldiers, her midriff exposed and her blue bra is clearly on show as a soldier stomps on her.
The image of her prone, beaten body has shocked the country, and the outpouring of anger has been both internal and international.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed outrage at the woman’s treatment and said it dishonours the country.
“This systematic degradation of Egyptian women dishonours the revolution, disgraces the state and its uniform and is not worthy of a great people,” she said.
“Recent events in Egypt have been particularly shocking. Women are being beaten and humiliated in the same streets where they risked their lives for the revolution only a few short months ago,” Clinton added.
The Egyptian military apologised on Monday, but accused protesters of being provocateurs intent on stirring up unrest.
But with the video galvanising the demonstrations — in which 13 people have died in five days — the Egyptian military was again forced to apologise on Tuesday.
“The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces expresses its strong regret to the great women of Egypt over transgressions that occurred during recent incidents in the protests outside parliament and the cabinet,” it said in the statement.
The military respected women’s right to take part in protests and had taken “all legal measures to hold accountable the people responsible for these violations,” said the statement reported by Agence France-Presse.
In Cairo, 10,000 women protested over the woman’s treatment. Banners were held up showing the woman’s bloodied and stripped body — an image as shocking as it was potent.
“The women of Egypt are a red line,” chanted men and women in Tahrir Square.
Newspapers joined the growing chorus of unrest. “The forces that violate the honour [of women],” read a headline in the independent daily Al-Tahrir above a picture of a soldier grabbing a woman by the hair as another raised a club over her.
They also want the final say in the make-up of a Constitutional Council that will determine the future political system.
It may well be that the continuing protests — with the girl in the blue bra as their symbol — represent the endgame in the struggle between the revolution and the military. But even if the protesters are successful, people like the girl in the blue bra may end up the losers.
In the early rounds of voting, the Islamist parties secured the most votes, and the voices of liberals — and of women – could well be silenced in the new Egypt.
