3 U.S. Students Arrest by Egypt Military
--- for Watching Military Occupation?
OK - Here is a real story to think about.
American University students Derrik Sweeney, 19 along with Luke Gates, 21 and fellow student Gregory Porter, also 19 years old spent Thanksgiving day in Egyptian military custody, for - watching demonstrators against military domination of a newly freed country from oppressive regieme -
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November 26, 2011 -- After sufficient pressure from U.S. Diplomats - 3 American students are being released after visiting Cairo, Egypt - according to sources there.
Three U.S. students were arrested during the protest in Cairo were supposed to be catch flights out of Egypt early today (Saturday, Nov. 26), according to an airport official and an attorney for one of them.
The 3 Americans got arrested for being on a roof of the university building overlooking Tahrir Square, the famous location for the freedom rally earlier this year. Armed only with cameras, the three were seized by military police, while taking photos, likely trying to upload to YouTube.
Spokesman spoke in official capacity saying, after military police surrounded the building and secured the top of it disarmed the youth (from their cameras?) grabbed them and took them into custody.
Later, military police officials issued a statement saying - they thought the boys were throwing something that could be firebombs at the militart forces beating the protesters.
Luke Gates, 21, and Derrik Sweeney, 19, are scheduled to leave Cairo different flights to Frankfurt, Germany, according to official at the airport official in Cairo.
Gregory Porter, 19, has already left the country, according to his attorney.
Lesson: Don't go to Egypt if you are American and look like you are throwing something while military police beat up protesters against imperialism and military domination.
In Another story released earlier today - (Read..)
An official who was not authorized to speak, spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters. According to his unathorized speech . . .
The Egyptian military court ordered the release of prisoners: Derrik Sweeney age 19 and Luke Gates age 21 on Thursday. Both are listed as students of American University there.
Another boy, Gregory Porter, 19 years old was not listed along with them, but is believed to already be released and on his way back home to U.S.A. according to Theodore Simon, attorney for Gregory Porter, who is a student at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
According to Porter's attorney Theodore Simon, police escorted the 3 students to the Cairo airport Friday. Simon said later, Gregory had flown out.
"I am pleased and thankful to report that Gregory Porter is in the air. He has departed Egyptian airspace and is on his way home," Simon said, but he would not confirm when the boy was expected back in the U.S.A.
Simon said both he and Porter's mother both spoken on the telephone with Gregory, who is from the Philadelphia suburb of Glenside.
"He clearly conveyed to me ... that he was OK," claimed the attorney to reporters there.
Luke Gates, 21 years old, is a student at Indiana University. His return to the U.S. is not yet clear.
Derrik Sweeny's mom Joy Sweeney, told reporters her boy, 19 year old student at Georgetown University, from Jeffereson City, Missouri, is going to fly home from Cairo to Frankfurt, Germany and then on to Washington, D.C. and from there to St. Louis, Missouri.
She said the whole family will be there to greet him when he arrives late tonight.
"I am ecstatic," Sweeney said Friday. "I can't wait for him to get home tomorrow night. I can't believe he's actually going to get on a plane. It is so wonderful."
Sweeney said she had talked with her son Friday afternoon and "he seemed jubilant."
"He thought he was going to be able to go back to his dorm room and get his stuff," she said. "We said, `No, no, don't get your stuff, we just want you here."'
She said the American University in Cairo will ship his belongings home.
Sweeney had earlier said she did not prepare a Thanksgiving celebration this week because the idea seemed "absolutely irrelevant" while her son still was imprisoned.
"I'm getting ready to head out and buy turkey and stuffing and all the good fixings so that we can make a good Thanksgiving dinner," she said Friday.
Next Lesson: Don't to to the American University in Cairo with your eyes open. Just sit inside, don't go on the roof of the building to see what is going on. Don't watch protesters being beaten up by military police while protesting against oppression of military police.
Hmmm? What's wrong with this story....?
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