A Blog by the Editor of The Middle East Journal

Putting Middle Eastern Events in Cultural and Historical Context

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Labor Unrest, Provincial Clashes

Egypt's Workers are increasingly joining the movement of protest, with spreading strikes disrupting rail travel and other services. In addition to this new element to the protest, there has been an outbreak of violence in the Kharga Oasis, capital of the Wadi al-Gadid Governorate, amid reports of the use of live fire and of several dead in clashes between protesters and police.This serves, I think, as a useful reminder that with international attention focused on Cairo and Alexandria, what's been happening elsewhere remains a bit of a mystery.

The prevailing sense that things have calmed down may be misleading; Friday will once again be a major day of protest.

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