Egyptian neighbors creating local militias

By Ivan Watson, CNN

January 31, 2011 –– Updated 0010 GMT (0810 HKT)

Some Egyptians have begun volunteering at nights, protecting neighborhoods with volunteer defense squads.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Residents arm themselves to protect homes, stores

Men set up checkpoints, search cars

"People are much more organized today"

Cairo, Egypt (CNN) –– Until recently, Seif Awad worked a day job as an account manager for Cisco.

But
since Saturday he has begun volunteering at nights, protecting his
neighborhood with a volunteer defense squad of young male neighbors
armed with makeshift weapons. Last night he armed himself with a big
stick. On Sunday, Awad bought gasoline canisters and started making
Molotov cocktails.

"If anyone comes on the street we're going to throw those at them," Awad said. "And I have a friend here who has a gun."

Shortly
before he spoke on the phone Sunday night with CNN, Awad says he and
his comrades scared off a group of men who tried to scale the walls of
his upscale gated residential neighborhood.

"They were trying to jump the walls and we ran at them," Awad recounted. "And when they saw us they fell back."

Real
estate broker Karim Amer armed himself with a kitchen knife Saturday
night and joined his own hastily formed neighborhood militia.

On Sunday night, Amer said he and his
comrades barricaded side roads, set up checkpoints on main roads and
searched passing cars.

"People are much more organized today,"
Amer said. "We've got people with whistles now. Different neighborhood
corners have agreed to different whistles to signal for help."

On Saturday night, Amer said his group of volunteers captured two men whom he claims were trying to break into a store.

"When
they saw floods of people coming from every area they felt trapped and
surrendered and we tied them down," Amer said. "Then we got the military
and they came and escorted them away."

Awad, the account
manager, said on Saturday night his group detained a suspected looter
with the help of patrolling Egyptian army soldiers. Awad said the
troops, who are filling in the vacuum left by a police force that has
largely left the streets, then made an example out of the suspected
robber.

"They undressed him and tied him up on top of a tank and they drove around with him."

Posted: 1/30/2011 5:48:29 PM EDT

[#1]

Israel should *drop* some weapons in for them....

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Egyptian Survival

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Egyptian neighbors creating local militias

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