- Title: JAPAN: Two hundred anti-Mubarak Egyptians rally in Tokyo
- Date: 6th February 2011
- Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) EGYPTIAN PROTESTOR SAMEH KANTOSHI SPEAKING THROUGH A MEGAPHONE SAYING: "May Egypt always be free. Those of us Egyptians living in Japan watch the ongoing protests in our beloved country with concern. We see an Egypt that is reflecting the hopes of millions for more freedom, democracy and the respect of human rights and as we call for the end of poverty
- Embargoed: 21st February 2011 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Japan, Japan
- Country: Japan
- Topics: International Relations,Domestic Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA3G3UD3IZ62NKZMUMIB77Z9WV6
- Story Text: Around 200 Egyptian nationals and their supporters marched through downtown Tokyo on Saturday (February 5) to show their solidarity with anti-Hosni Mubarak protestors in Egypt.
Holding Egyptian flags and banners in English, Japanese and Arabic they called on the Egyptian President to step down and grant the Egyptian people their freedom.
"May Egypt always be free. Those of us Egyptians living in Japan watch the ongoing protests in our beloved country with concern. We see an Egypt that is reflecting the hopes of millions for more freedom, democracy and the respect of human rights and as we call for the end of poverty, unemployment, corruption, bribes and cronyism and we call for free and fair elections that reflect the hopes and the needs of the Egyptian people for a better future," one participant, Sameh Kantoshi, said to rally the crowds in Tokyo before the march.
The participants, many of who work for travel agencies or are students, said they used their access to information to inform their colleagues, families and friends in Egypt of the situation in Cairo and elsewhere in Egypt.
"Actually we are here outside Egypt, we see more than they are seeing. Unfortunately they are looking only at national TV which is very fake. Many fake on national TV. Al Jazeera already shut down because it was determined to be the enemy of Egypt. So while we are here we saw BBC, CNN, Yahoo news, Al Jazeera. We give them the real situation. We try to tell them this. Stay steadyfast, go ahead. Don't stop. That is our mentality here with Egypt," said Egyptian national Abdel-Rahman.
Children and non-Egyptians also supported the rally.
"We deserve a new world, a free world. We are mature enough and it is time now that we live in a democratic country, in a democratic world, " said Tunisian national and law student Beligh El-Baldi, who travelled from the city of Kyoto, 600 kilometers west of Tokyo, to join his "Egyptian brothers" in the march.
The United Nations estimates 300 people have died in the unrest, inspired in part by protests in Tunisia which forced veteran strongman Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali to flee last month. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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