Day 6 of Egyptian Protests; Day 4 of News and Brews’ search for Egyptian beer in NYC

As an aspiring journalist writing a blog that discusses stories in the news, I feel as if it’s impossible to ignore the crisis that’s happening in Egypt, even though I’m having difficulty tracking down a beer to taste from the country.  I’ve found a few beers that exist on this site, but can’t seem to find them in NYC.  Even my favorite Hercules Fancy Grocery doesn’t carry Egyptian beer anymore. I’ve tried Whole Foods and other beer stores, but to no avail. However, even without an Egyptian beer, the historic events occurring in Cairo, Alexandria and other Egyptian cities can’t go unreported. Here are the basics for those who haven’t been keeping up with the latest news:

*4:00 pm 1/31/11 The Egyptian army says it won’t open fire on the tens of thousands of demonstrators who have gathered in the country’s major cities for what now is the seventh day of protests. The protesters–who mainly consist of young Egyptians–are calling for a “march of millions” to be held tomorrow, as well as a general nationwide strike against Mubarek’s regime. Some journalists for Al-Jazeera were also arrested this morning, and Mubarek’s swore in a new cabinet this morning. Here’s an interesting video I thought showed a nation truly taking care of itself:

Tens of thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in Egypt’s major cities calling for dictatorial Egyptian President Hosni Mubarek to step down. Mubarek has been in office since 1981. The protests started as peaceful demonstrations, but on Friday, they became increasingly violent as demonstrators began to defy their curfew hour of 7 pm and other bans.

The president soon called in the military to squelch the protests, which resulted in an increase in violence from demonstrators.  On January 28, Mubarek ordered his cabinet to resign, but would not step down himself.  In a speech on Friday, he said security was his first priority.

Soon after the military was deployed, they joined forces with demonstrators, who continued to call for the president to resign. Yesterday, Mubarek installed Omar Suleiman, his former chief of intelligence to Vice-President, resulting in further protests against the appointment.

Internet and phone service is down throughout the country.  News organization Al-Jazeera reported that China banned the word “Egypt” from Twitter posts.  They’re posting a live blog of activity each day, which can be found on their website, here. Schools, banks and the stock market in the nation’s capital, Cairo, remained closed January 30.  All flights in and out of the country have been canceled, and hundreds of tourists are stranded in their hotels or nearby airports.

Under Mubarek’s rule, Egypt and the United States have had amicable relations, but recent unrest has caused many Egyptians to question the US’s stance on the political unrest, as they have not expressed an alliance with protesters.  According to USA Today, the usually peaceful relations between the two countries could face future tension if a new regime is installed.  American University professor Mustafa Aksakal stated, “as far as relations with Israel are concerned, a more democratic Egypt would mean that the U.S. will have to take into account a much broader range of Egyptian views, including those that insist on the rapid improvement of Palestinian lives in the West Bank and Gaza. ” You can see the rest of the Q&A article here.

Recently, the New York Times is reporting that Nobel Peace Prize winner, Mohamed ElBaradei, will lead a loosely unified coalition against Mubarek’s government.  Following that announcement, the prominent group, Muslim Brotherhood, also joined forces against the government, calling for the president to resign and allow a more democratic government to be instated.

For those interested in learning more about what’s happening in Egypt, I would suggest the following sites to look at:

Al-Jazeera’s live blogs and updates: the most objective and interesting coverage, I think.

New York Time’s blog, The Lede: up to date news coverage

This slide show provides a really great visual overview of the situation.

Hopefully, I’ll be able to find a place that sells a beer soon to taste! If you know of a place or a beer associated with Egypt, let me know!