Friday, December 2, 2011

Egyptian cameraman at the heart of the Tahrir Square clashes

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six and a half minute video by a local journalist could be the most important document in the recent violent conflict

through clouds of smoke, two men wearing black masks and the center of safety from act decisively towards the camera, stopping a few seconds to shoot shotgun shells whistling dangerously close to the screen.

one side of the street is a column of armed riot police in the hundreds of stone-throwing youths, their heads wrapped in scarves, bodies pressing down occasionally as another shock triggered.

In the midst of all this is the cameraman, Bahgat Mostafa. "This section [of road], this distance is the largest urban area of ??15 meters in our country right now," says the filmmaker of 31. "If I'm not there to record what happens after the state is being challenged. If I was not there at that time, I could not live with myself. 'S What to do. "

the last two weeks have proved a turning point in the current revolution in Egypt, with street protests against the junta high that comes under the relentless onslaught of the security forces and millions of Egyptians challenging the bloodshed to come and vote in parliament for the first time the post-Mubarak.

However, even if future historians look back on this period will be a primary source materials widely available - a mountain of ballots for the hundreds of hours of footage covering the events in the square Tahrir - their most important asset may be six minutes and half of the video with jumps, shots Bahgat the heart of the violence.

The film, which consists of a series of clips made for several days at the height of the riot, most directly contradicts statements made by the Ministry of the Interior regarding the types of weapons deployed by their troops and their insistence that only "reasonable force" was used to treat protesters.

better than anything produced by more conventional media, the film captures the dramatic reality of the recent clashes in Cairo. It is also one of the most intense guerrilla albums ever produced and quickly became a viral sensation, marking more than 100,000 times on YouTube.

But the man calm, soft voice behind the lens is a work item, but it serves a vital purpose in the information war going on between the Egyptian authorities and the young revolutionaries who accuse general decision of the country to unleash brutal violence against those who dare speak against them.

"People in Egypt, which only have access to state television have a hard time believing that the army could injure or kill someone, or that the police under the control of the military could do the same.

I might think differently, "says Bahgat, who stumbled into journalism by accident video while working as a news anchor in Egypt Al-Masry Al-Youm.

In early 2009 the table of the media want to cover a strike in one factory, but was short of staff, despite the lack of experience with a video camera, a volunteer Bahgat. "Since then I have not stopped," he smiles.

At the beginning of the uprising against the regime of this year, the big, red, Egypt was at Suez, an industrial city in January and February has been home to some of the greatest battles between the Pro Street - change of protesters and security forces Central hated - that after three decades of dictatorship of Mubarak came to symbolize the brutality and indifference of the powerful political elite Mubarak

Having witnessed the violence itself, Bahgat decided that the images recorded by others will not convey the real drama of the front line, and decided to do something.

"When I saw the other videos, sees in them what he had seen with my own eyes on the ground," he said. "I knew I needed to start me out in the first line, and I had the approach of armed police with details to how he behaved, what they did." " / Aa>

Bahgat Suez was also learned to survive in the midst of the stones, Molotov cocktails, tear gas and live ammunition. He did not wear a helmet or body armor, preferring to remain in the open slot, hyper-adapted to the situation unfolding around him, including the change in position of all combatants, wind direction, and each lamp exact phone booth, and the scattered pieces of furniture that could be pressed into use as an emergency barricade.


"Most of the time I'm not even looking through the viewfinder, but I look around, the calculation of what will happen and if I must follow," he said.

"My tactic is more difficult to think when I was younger as a child to jump, shoot, hide and play all the time .. It feels instinctively go creative instincts This does leave us, and now I know I can use them. "

Beyond But Bahgat said the rumors of his invincibility was off the mark: it was affected by gas cylinders, spray pellets, and had eight pieces of metal in his leg for 10 months to splinters deep that doctors are reluctant to remove it.

The distinction between activist and journalist is one who is not concerned. He also rejected any claim to heroism, each time dragging uncomfortable passersby stopped to praise

"I take this risk, because when you see people die in front of you that are on your side, you can not go around thinking about their own safety," he said.
"My value is nothing compared to those who walk forward with something, with their hands, only to be shot, rushed to the hospital for treatment and then quickly return to frontline against oppression again. "



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