CAIRO: Reports of clashes between the military and protesters in the city of Suez were streaming in on Twitter and other social networking sites on Sunday afternoon as demonstrators in Suez continued their push toward the Suez Canal. Activists have reported that some 25 people have been arrested. “We cut the barb wire that the army has set up,” said Ahmed Manshy, an activist in Suez. According to al-Shorouk newspaper the head of the Red Sea General Committee Ports General Mohamed Gaballah Abdel Kader said “more than 300 cars and trucks have been stuck between Suez and the Red Sea governorate,” adding that porting and deporting of ships has stopped due to the cutting of the road. Earlier on Sunday, protesters numbering over 1,000 blocked the Ain Sokhna-Suez road leading to the city. Eye witnesses confirmed that a number of trucks and private vehicles are stuck on the highway, but there doesn't seem to be complaining. A number of reports even indicate that the drivers are in solidarity with the protests. This all comes as the protesters late on Saturday threatened to cut access to the Suez Canal, but stopped short of breaching the canal headquarters after apparently discussing the matter with the military in charge of the area. But according to Abdel Kader, the protesters have refused to enter dialogue over the matter with any military officials. The majority of Egyptian activists online have thrown their support behind the actions in Suez, although a few have spoken out against attempts to take the canal. Farrah Saafan, a journalist, said that “irrational escalation is not the way to go! The public opinion will denounce the revolution more as soon as they hear the words ‘suez canal'.” Zeinobia, a leading blogger, was one of the few activists not to support the escalation of the protest and sit-in in Suez, saying that “we should have seen this coming, threatening to cut or even touch the Suez canal is a real red line.” ** Manar Ammar and Joseph Mayton contributed to this report. BM
