Medea Benjamin

The revolution in Egypt at first was less about poverty and labor than it was about police brutality and the mistreatment of the people by a repressive regime. But now, Khaled Fahmy notes, the growing labor movement in Egypt is coming to the fore, following two years of concerted effort and protest by workers across the country.The protests continue, and Fahmy tells us that many of the functions of the government have been nearly completely shut down by the protesters, who remain in the streets and vow to stay until Mubarak is gone."I had the feeling it might happen," says Medea Benjamin of CodePink of the ongoing revolution in Egypt. Recently back from Cairo, Medea has been traveling through Egypt to get to Gaza for a while, and she says that the feeling in that country was of too many people angry, frustrated, and willing to fight their government to go on another 30 years without fighting back.Medea joins Laura in studio to discuss her recent experience in Egypt, including nearly being arrested at gunpoint, and having had friends detained for hours by state security forces.The revolution continues in Egypt, and in addition to creating new coalitions and partnerships as different groups come together in the streets, it's inspiring artists around the world. Jasiri X and M-1 of Dead Prez have a new track, "We All Shall Be Free," illustrated with scenes from the protests in Cairo.This weekend saw something revolutionary — not just in Egypt, but in Congo. ; The V-Day foundation , led by playwright and GRITtv guest Eve Ensler, opened its first City of Joy, a compound that will help Congolese women, many of them rape survivors, heal and learn, as V-Day puts it, to “turn their pain to power.”

On the anniversary of the "Operation Cast Lead" assault on Gaza, almost 1400 people from 43 countries converged in Egypt to march to Gaza, demanding an end to the siege there. Since the actual attacks ended, the people of Gaza have been cut off from the rest of the world, and this unprecedented action, as well as solidarity movements around the globe, was designed to raise international awareness of the plight of the Gazan people. Ali Abunimah, cofounder of Electronic Intifada, and Medea Benjamin, cofounder of Code Pink: Women for Peace, took part in the march in Egypt. They join us to discuss the march, and we also speak to Electronic Intifada contributor Rami Almeghari, who is living and working in the Gaza strip.