2006年VOA标准英语-Police Crackdown Follows Peaceful Protests in E

By Challiss McDonough
Cairo
25 May 2006
 
In Egypt, at least 300 pro-reform judges on Thursday stood in silent protest outside the high court, demanding an end to government interference in the judiciary. Several other peaceful protests also took place in Cairo, a change from previous weeks, when police violently broke up several demonstrations² and arrested hundreds of reform activists⁴. But, several protesters were severely⁵ beaten and detained after the demonstrations were over.

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Egyptian pro-reform judges stand in silent protest outside the high court in Cairo  
  

After their silent protest on the steps of the High Court, the judges, wearing ceremonial red sashes, marched to the Judges' Club, passing by another demonstration¹ on the steps of the Journalists' Syndicate next door.

The judges' protest might have been silent, but the crowd of 200 other demonstrators erupted into cheers and wild applause when the judges arrived.

The protesters were out to show their support for the reformist judges who have been waging a battle for judicial⁶ independence. The judiciary has become a symbol for Egypt's reform movement.

For the first time in more than a month, activists were able to chant slogans denouncing the government without being attacked, beaten or arrested by police and hired thugs.

It was only afterward⁷, when most of the news media had left, that several protesters were grabbed from the streets, beaten and reportedly detained by police. Undercover security agents apparently⁸ targeted demonstrators who were recently released from prison after being detained during other protests over the last month.

A demonstrator flies an Egyptian flag over riot police in support of pro-reform judges  
  
An activist³ and journalist named Ahmed Salah, who was himself released from jail only a few days ago, told VOA that he and several colleagues were leaving the protest site in a car driven by a BBC journalist when it was attacked by a large group of men.

"They just attacked the car with stones and bottles of soda⁹ until they broke the glass windows and the windscreen," said Ahmed Salah. "They injured Dina Samak, the BBC correspondent, and they snatched this guy, Karim El-Shaer, who was one of the detainees they released. As they were dragging him, they were beating him and they threw him into a car, a police car."

Earlier, an Associated Press reporter witnessed another protester being severely beaten and dragged off by plainclothes agents.

Salah says all of the released detainees were warned not to attend any protests, but several of them had defied that order.

During the demonstration, one man stood on a barricade¹⁰, directly addressing the riot police and plainclothes officers surrounding the chanting demonstrators.

"Shame on you," he told the officers. "Shame on you, this is not patriotism¹¹. This is not protecting Egypt's security." Then he said to the police: "You are the greatest danger to Egypt's security. You are the real danger."

Police arrested hundreds of demonstrators over the last month during protests and sit-ins in support of two judges who were hauled before a disciplinary hearing after going public with allegations of fraud in last year's parliamentary election. The vicious crackdown provoked criticism of the Egyptian government by the United States and the European Union.

A number of the detained activists have been released over the last few days. But several hundred more, mostly members of the banned Muslim Brotherhood¹², remain in jail.

The latest demonstrations marked the first anniversary of a controversial referendum, which was marred¹³ by violence against opposition¹⁴ activists.

1 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

2 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

3 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

4 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

6 judicial   

adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的

参考例句：

• He is a man with a judicial mind.他是个公正的人。
• Tom takes judicial proceedings against his father.汤姆对他的父亲正式提出诉讼。

7 afterward   

adv.后来；以后

参考例句：

• Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。
• Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。

8 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

9 soda   

n.苏打水；汽水

参考例句：

• She doesn't enjoy drinking chocolate soda.她不喜欢喝巧克力汽水。
• I will freshen your drink with more soda and ice cubes.我给你的饮料重加一些苏打水和冰块。

10 barricade   

n.路障，栅栏，障碍；vt.设路障挡住

参考例句：

• The soldiers make a barricade across the road.士兵在路上设路障。
• It is difficult to break through a steel barricade.冲破钢铁障碍很难。

11 patriotism   

n.爱国精神，爱国心，爱国主义

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• They obtained money under the false pretenses of patriotism.他们以虚伪的爱国主义为借口获得金钱。

12 brotherhood   

n.兄弟般的关系，手中情谊

参考例句：

• They broke up the brotherhood.他们断绝了兄弟关系。
• They live and work together in complete equality and brotherhood.他们完全平等和兄弟般地在一起生活和工作。

13 marred   

adj. 被损毁, 污损的

参考例句：

• The game was marred by the behaviour of drunken fans. 喝醉了的球迷行为不轨，把比赛给搅了。
• Bad diction marred the effectiveness of his speech. 措词不当影响了他演说的效果。

14 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。