Eleven am and the streets were still eerily empty. At the register the credit machines and ATMs were out, and since we were short of cash we had to put half out groceries back. This would totally not happen in America- nothing can stop the flow of business. Especially not a government that wants to stay in office.
Afterward Shahab and I sat in his living room discussing Egypt's political history, then he went out for noon prayers. Just as he returned the protests began, so we ran downstairs to see what would happen. Flooding out of the nearby mosque were hundreds of shouting men (and some women), chanting Freedom Freedom! and Topple the Government! (borrowing from the slogans in Tunisia)
The street quickly filled with protestors and spectators (I wasn't the only one with a camera, dozens of people stood by with their cell phones raised). As I turned to take a photo of the police blockade a plain clothesed officer began screaming (in English) Get away! This is not your business this is ours!
Men flowing out of the mosque after Friday's noon prayer
As the crowd of people moved down the street, passed the apartment where Chris took video footage from the balcony, we returned inside and began assessing the situation. Without internet or phones it is hard to know what is happening around the city. Even Al Jazeera was cut off from local journalists and couldn't get their video footage through.
Citizens fill the streets, ready for a peaceful protest march toward the city center
Watching the riots in Cairo and knowing they were happening here too was too interesting to pass up, so Chris and I went out to find the parades of people. tens of thousands of Alexandrians were marching down the main avenue; men and women, young and old. We first ran into a blockade of police near one of the stations, who suddenly charged and then stopped, eventually disbanning and getting back into their armored trucks.
Police blockade the street, armed with riot gear
Police assemble, then disassemble, not sure what we're going to do
Tens of thousands of people march down the main streets from the outskirts, chanting
Chris and I followed the crowds down the street toward the Italian mosque, where the meeting point was set. Along the way we were stopped by commotion at the central police station, which had exploded in fire and was spewing thick plumes of black smoke. 
Looking down from an overpass, burning building up ahead
We carefully crept our way up toward the fire, almost constantly approached by people hoping we were international journalists. Several of them pleaded with us to tell the world, let their voices be heard, to help the Egyptian people be rid of this oppressive government. We could only promise we would be writing online and posting video to YouTube. 
People eagerly run to see what's up ahead
Next to the station, which slowly filled with flames across the entire lower floor, a police van had exploded. Molotov cocktail I presume. Some (young men) were going crazy in the streets, setting fires, looting the station (throwing furniture out the upper windows), shouting, etc. A majority of others were quietly observing, filming with cell phone cameras. No police in sight though.
Smoke fills the street outside the burning police station
Police vans nearby were set ablaze
Occasional huge swells of people would stampede, in fear of an explosion
After several rounds of explosions and stampede scares, we were finally chased away from the area. Chris and I decided we had enough and would walk home. Hundreds of small groups of people slowly moved away from the scene. As we passed the police station from before more armored trucks began unloading shielded officers; one officer was shouting and waving at us but we didn't understand why. A nearby pedestrian also walking away told us they were initiating a curfew and we should get off the streets immediately. No problem we would be home by the time it started, but we soon crossed another large parade of protestors heading toward the fires. Police have no chance of emptying the streets- it's total chaos here!
No more cars around, so kids burn shirts instead
Shahab was waiting at home, ready with updates from local news reports. Since no phones or Internet are working there is no footage of the riots in Alexandria. Only a few scenes from Cairo; the National Democratic Party is on fire and citizens are guarding the National Museum (police have abandoned their posts) against potential looters. There are occaisionally short reports- calls from landlines- from people with details about Alexandria and Suez (the third major protest zone). However, Al Jazeera's signal keeps randomly getting cut. People are eagerly waiting for a speech by Mubarak, the Egyptian president from whom protestors are demanding resignation. Hilary Clinton is dubbed on Al Jazeera calling for peace and advising the government reconnects Egypt's communication network.
Chris and I went out again, this time to the nearby police headquarters, following a rumor that fire had broken out. We did see flames from down the street but by the time we arrived citizens with hoses had finished putting out the flames. Despite the curfew there were many clusters of people, and still no police.
Burning shirts as a symbol of the about-to-collapse-dictatorship
Late in the night Mubarak appeared on TV, calmly explaining he will appoint a new government, but not mentioning his leaving. We called it a night.
The next morning was calm. Shehab and I drove around town making note of all the burned out police stations, dozens of charred vehicles, toppled security booths, and armored tanks along the roads. Plenty of pedestrians and cars were also cruising to take photos of the damage. At every intersection a team of volunteer citizens directed traffic, rerouting drivers away from closed streets and keeping the flow moving.
Papers expelled from destroyed buildings covered the streets
Our main goal was to see the governor's mansion, we heard had been set on fire; the street was blocked by the burnt skeleton of a not so lucky bus. Next door is the American Center, which is empty save for the security guards who told me no one knows what's going on or what to advise. He did give me embassy numbers to call in case I have a personal emergency.
Tanks filled almost every street
Curfew today was moved up to 4 pm. We watched as the grocery stores and mini markets flooded with people stocking up on their own suppliesShehab, Chris, and I moved over to Ibrahim, one of shehab's friends, house. From his top floor apartment balcony we can clearly see the surrounding city streets and even glimpse the sea. Just below is an enormous sports club, with multiple pools, ball courts, gyms, restaurants, and a golf course.
Citizens came out the next morning to assess the damaged buildings
After sundown Ibrahim and Shehab were requested to come downstairs and join the men gathering in the street, all armed with clubs and sticks.
Throughout the city these citizen militias are forming to protect buildings and property from the roaming band of looters. Cell coverage has returned so everyone is on their phones coordinating and sharing updates from reports around the city. Rumors are flying high and wide; tales of gunshots at Shehab's building, multiple burning buildings, ransacking looting mobs, and the takeover of the water company. After a few exciting scares but overall emptiness we decided to go upstairs and watch from the balcony.
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