Hilary Clinton visited Tahrir Square today.
She smiled and waved, and declared, “It’s just a great reminder of the power of the human spirit and desire for human rights and democracy. It’s just thrilling to see where this happened.”
No mention was made of reported torture in the nearby Egyptian museum.
Later in the day a small crowd of around 200, staged a march from the Press Syndicate to the museum, to protest the release of people they claim are still being held inside the museum. As they marched they chanted “why is the army beating us?” and “Mubarak is free but my brother’s in jail.”
When they reached the square, a delegation approached the soldiers and police on the steps of the museum. The army filmed the group. The officers they spoke to denied that the museum had been used for torture and that anyone was being held inside.
While this exchange was happening more soldiers appeared from inside the museum, the protestors retreated to the opposite side of the road.
It is claimed that one of the protesters rang a friend’s mobile, the friend having disappeared a week ago during the clearing of Tahrir Square. The call was answered by the friend, who confirmed that they, and two others, were being held inside the museum.
At which point the army started arresting people, and taking them into detention in the museum.
On a side issue the Talking Pyramids blog reports the list of items ‘looted’ from the museum during the disturbances on 29th January, has been revised from 8 items initially stated, to 63 items, including trumpets from the tomb of Tutankhamen.
The previous Minster of Antiquities, Zahi Hawass, is currently in court in the so called Egyptian Gift Shop Case.
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