Crisis In Egypt Hits Home In San Diego

The pro-democracy protests in Egypt spilled into San Diego today. A rally supporting Egyptian anti-government demonstrators took place at the federal building downtown. It's the eleventh day of the uprising - the crisis hits home for San Diegans with Egyptian roots. Amr Shabaik is a Law Student at the University of Southern California whose father emigrated to the United States from Egypt in 1980.

Transcript

A PROTEST IN EGYPT SPILLED IN TO SAN DIEGO. ANTI~ GOVERNMENT PROTESTERS TOOK PLACE AT THE FEDERAL BUILDING DOWNTOWN, IT'S THE 11th DAY OF THE UP RISING. THE CRISIS HITS HOME WITH RESIDENTS WITH ROOTS IN EGYPT. A LAW STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, HIS FATHER IMMIGRATED FROM EGYPT IN 1980 AND THANK YOU FOR COMING. YOU WERE IN EGYPT JUST THREE WEEKS AGO, RIGHT?

YEAH. I WENT OVER FOR A FEW DAYS. MY MOM AND DAD AND BROTHER WERE THERE. IT WAS JUST KIND OF, I TOOK MY WIFE, TOOK HER AND VISITED THE COUNTRY. WENT TO CAIRO AND ALL OVER.

WAS THERE ANY SIGN THAT THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN?

THAT IS THE FUNNY THING, I NEVER IMAGINED. I REMEMBER WHEN I GOT BACK SOMEONE WAS ASKING ME WHAT IS KIND OF --ASKING ME IF WHAT HAPPENED IN TUNESIA WOULD HAPPEN IN EGYPT AND I DID NOT THINK SO. PEOPLE WERE GOING ALONG WITH EVERY DAY LIFE, LIFE WAS TOUGH BUT I NEVER IMAGINED IT WOULD GET TO THIS LEVEL.

WE ARE HEARING THAT LIFE GOT TOUGH THAT PEOPLE SAID ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

YEAH. THAT IS WHY THESE PROTESTS ARE OCCURRED. THESE THINGS HAVE BEEN GOING ON FOR SO LONG. IT'S SORT OF, THAT IS WHY, IT WAS ALWAYS THERE. I'VE BEEN THERE MANY TIMES. AND IT'S ALWAYS BEEN THERE, THE POVERTY IS ALWAYS THERE, THE TOUGH LIFE IS THERE. THERE WAS NOTHING TO INDICATE THAT NOW ALL OF SUDDEN THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT WOULD GET THEM OVER THAT TIPPING POINT TO START THE RALLIES AND PROTESTS.

YOUR BROTHER IS THERE NOW?

YES.

WHAT IS HE REPORTING OR IS IT DIFFICULT FOR HIM?

HE IS, IT'S BEEN DIFFICULT BECAUSE THE STUFF THAT IS GOING ON. MY FAMILY IS THERE, THEIR SPIRITS ARE GOOD, THEY ARE HOPING TO SEE POSITIVE CHANGE AND HAPPY THAT THE PEOPLE ARE TAKING MATTERS INTO THEIR HANDS. PEOPLE GRADUATING COLLEGE AND WORKING IN GAS STATIONS. POLICE CORRUPTION AND TORTURE, POLITICAL PRISONERS BECAUSE OF SPEAKING OUT AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT. ALL THAT PUT TOGETHER.

IT SOUNDS TO ME AS THOUGH YOU ARE IN FAVOR OF THIS UP RISING?

YES. I DEFINITELY FEEL THAT ANY PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD HAVE THE RIGHT TO SORT OF BAND TOGETHER AND STAND UP FOR THEIR GLOBAL RECOGNIZED HUMAN RIGHTS TO HAVE FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS AND VOICE THEIR OPINIONS TO STAND UP AGAINST A GOVERNMENT WITHOUT --WITHOUT BEING THROWN IN JAIL AND I SUPPORT THEIR RIGHT TO DO THAT. FOR THEM TO CHANGE THE REGIME THAT HAS NOT PROVIDED THE THINGS THAT THEY NEEDED OVER THE PAST 30 YEARS I'M FOR THAT.

WHAT DO YOU THINK THE UP RISING WILL RESULT IN IN?

WE THOUGHT LAST NIGHT BEFORE THAT, WHERE PRO GOVERNMENT, A LOT OF REPORTS WERE THAT A LOT OF THEM WERE PAID TO COME HARASS PROTESTERS AND WERE FROM THE INTERIOR OF MINISTRY AND A LOT WERE THE POLICE THAT HAPPENED TO DISAPPEAR OFF THE STREETS AND THEN CAME BACK TO HARASS THE PEOPLE. A LOT OF THAT WAS SORT OF WHAT WE SAW AND YOU SEE IT AS A RESULT OF WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW.

SO YOU SAY, YOU HAVE FAMILY THERE NOW.

YEAH.

RIGHT NOW, IS THERE A SENSE THAT THINGS ARE CALMING DOWN OR GETTING WORSE, THIS IS SPECIAL FRIDAY, THIS IS A FRIDAY WHEN MUBARAK IS BEING ASKED TO LEAVE.

THERE IS A SENSE OF HOPE. HE FELT LIKE TODAY WAS THE DAY THAT EGYPT HAS CHANGED. THERE WERE HUGE PROTESTS EVEN BEFORE PRAYERS, THERE WAS A HUGE TURN OUT IN THE SQUARE. AND HUGE PROTESTS AROUND EGYPT. BECAUSE OF THAT TURNOUT AFTER EVENTS ON OF PEOPLE BEING KILLED AND JOURNALLESTS BEING ATTACKED. PEOPLE GOING CRAZY TO CRUSH THEIR WILL, IT DID NOT HAVE THE EFFECT THAT THEY WANTED. THAT HUGE TURNOUT INSPIRED A LOT OF PEOPLE AND ENCOURAGED A LOT OF PEOPLE.

THANK YOU FOR COMING.

YOU ARE WELCOME.