- Title: GERMANY: U.S. travellers going home from Egypt describe chaos in streets
- Date: 2nd February 2011
- Summary: FRANKFURT AIRPORT, GERMANY (FEBRUARY 1, 2011) (REUTERS) PASSENGERS FROM CAIRO ON THE WAY TO THE U.S. IN FRANKFURT AIRPORT TRANSIT HALL VARIOUS OF ARRIVALS BOARD SHOWING LANDED FLIGHT FROM CAIRO FLIGHT OFFICIAL ADVISING PASSENGER CLOSE OF BAG WITH EGYPT MOTIFS, PAN TO FLIGHT OFFICIAL ADVISING PASSENGERS CLOSE OF EGYPTAIR BAGGAGE STICKER PASSENGERS IN HALL (SOUNDBITE) (English) PASSENGER IN TRANSIT FROM EGYPT TO U.S. ROBERT GARNER, SAYING: "It seemed to be pretty bad. We were not staying downtown, we were staying at the edge of town, but as we flew in late last night after curfew we got stopped several times. Tanks, people opening the cars looking inside. You could see guys on the streets with clubs protecting their neighbourhoods. They'd blocked off the streets so they couldn't get in. We walked to our hotel and they had spread soap all over the driveway so they couldn't bring buses or cars in because they would just slip and slide. So, we didn't see any of the actual demonstrating because it was very late at night when we got back in." (SOUNDBITE) (English) PASSENGER IN TRANSIT FROM EGYPT TO U.S. CATHERINE SHAVER, SAYING: "Well, actually it wasn't as bad today as we heard it has been the previous three days. As far as I was concerned it was pretty bad. It was crowded, disorganised, noisy. There were children who were terribly frightened and there were lots of adults who were terribly frightened too." (SOUNDBITE) (English) PASSENGER IN TRANSIT FROM EGYPT TO U.S. SCOTT ERIKSON, SAYING: "Well, I'd say that my experience was that I was very impressed with the restraint shown by most of the demonstrators and how they were, in many instances actually trying to protect the police. It is hard to say how it is going to turn. There are a lot of elements involved, a lot of different viewpoints on the street and it could change quickly in any number of directions. It's hard to predict at this point." (SOUNDBITE) (English) PASSENGER IN TRANSIT FROM EGYPT TO U.S. MARY ZUCKERMAN, SAYING: "There are a lot of poor people I mean I think, we even saw poor people too and they do need to have their income coming in every day and the street vendors do need to have their money, so this is going to be a real hardship on them. No banks open, no schools. Everything like that. So hopefully they will get what they want or it will improve their lifestyle a little bit, but without the violence would be really nice because it is only going to destroy... and make no tourists want to come to Egypt. And they do have to come when it is safe again." FLIGHT OFFICIAL ADVISING PASSENGER CLOSE OF TOURIST TRINKET IN BAG (SOUNDBITE) (English) PASSENGER IN TRANSIT FROM EGYPT TO U.S. RUTH GARNER, SAYING: "Chaotic, it took us so long to just get through the crowds. First of all we flew in from Aswan last night after curfew. There were people sleeping all over the floor. One man had been there two days just trying to get a boarding pass. This morning there were so many people trying to get out that they were knocking people over and it was chaos and very unpleasant!" VARIOUS OF PASSENGERS IN TRANSIT HALL
- Embargoed: 17th February 2011 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Germany, Germany
- Country: Germany
- Topics: International Relations
- Reuters ID: LVA2J56Y1TGEZM1DU2RARMPUISNF
- Story Text: A group of U.S. tourists on their way back home arrived in Germany's Frankfurt Airport on Tuesday evening (February 1) describing chaos in Cairo's streets.
The group of mainly elderly travellers were part of a tour group that had been travelling around the north African country and had flown into Cairo from the southern Egyptian town of Aswan.
"It seemed to be pretty bad. We were not staying downtown, we were staying at the edge of town, but as we flew in late last night after curfew we got stopped several times. Tanks, people opening the cars looking inside. You could see guys on the streets with clubs protecting their neighbourhoods. They'd blocked off the streets so they couldn't get in. We walked to our hotel and they had spread soap all over the driveway so they couldn't bring buses or cars in because they would just slip and slide. So, we didn't see any of the actual demonstrating because it was very late at night when we got back in," said one member of the group Robert Garner.
The passengers who were chartered to Frankfurt with Egyptair said they hadn't seen any actual violence but that people seemed uneasy.
"Well, actually it wasn't as bad today as we heard it has been the previous three days. As far as I was concerned it was pretty bad. It was crowded, disorganised, noisy. There were children who were terribly frightened and there were lots of adults who were terribly frightened too," group member, Catherine Shaver said.
Foreign countries have been stepping up attempts to evacuate their nationals from Egypt as at least one million anti-government protesters rallied across the country calling for President Hosni Mubarak step down.
The United States ordered all non-emergency embassy and government staff to leave, Germany warned its citizens for the first time to avoid the Red Sea tourist areas and Britain said it would send a plane to repatriate people stuck in Cairo.
Travel companies cancelled holidays and decided to fly out tourists on the eighth and biggest day of protests.
Scott Erikson, also a member of the U.S. group said the situation was still volatile but that the demonstrators were showing restraint.
"Well, I'd say that my experience was that I was very impressed with the restraint shown by most of the demonstrators and how they were, in many instances actually trying to protect the police. It is hard to say how it is going to turn. There are a lot of elements involved, a lot of different viewpoints on the street and it could change quickly in any number of directions. It's hard to predict at this point," Erikson said.
The U.S. State Department said it would offer help to Americans who wanted to leave Egypt, but noted "flights may be disrupted and transport to the airport may be disrupted due to the protests."
Returning passenger, Ruth Garner said the airport was chaotic.
"Chaotic, it took us so long to just get through the crowds. First of all we flew in from Aswan last night after curfew. There were people sleeping all over the floor. One man had been there two days just trying to get a boarding pass. This morning there were so many people trying to get out that they were knocking people over and it was chaos and very unpleasant!" she said.
Tourism is one of Egypt's main sources of foreign revenue, accounting for more than 11 percent of GDP, and provides many jobs in a country with high unemployment. In 2009, 12.5 million tourists visited Egypt, bringing revenue of 10.8 billion USD (7.8 billion euros) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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