Egypt: yet another iconic photo of a brave protester smooching a bewildered cop

Photo: A protester kisses a police officer during a demonstration in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to Mubarak's three-decade rule. (REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh)

What a meme! Previously.

Boing Boing editor/partner and tech culture journalist Xeni Jardin hosts and produces Boing Boing's in-flight TV channel on Virgin America airlines (#10 on the dial), and writes about living with breast cancer. Diagnosed in 2011. @xeni on Twitter. email: xeni@boingboing.net.

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Anonymous

All I can think to say is ‘God go with you all courageous souls.’

It is a moving and heroic thing that is happening in Egypt this day. I hope positive change comes from it.
anansi133

During the WTO protests, I saw a cop in full riot gear, with a flower stuck in his ‘lapel’. Never saw a photo of it, so I guess no one caught that moment.

This is better, though. I kinda wish we were more touchy in the states.
spool32

Good luck to them… I suppose anything’s possible right now. On PRI’s “The World” this evening, one of the protesters interviewed said to the reporter “All we want is for our country to be more like America.”

I hope that sentiment is strong.
Anonymous

Antinous

Those cops in white uniforms aren’t cops. They are traffic controllers. More like meter maids. They are there to try and help control Cairo’s chaotic traffic. Most are under educated country boys who do the job with a little training. I hope they don’t feel the wrath of the protesters. They have little enough control over their own lives.
Anonymous

This may not be what seem people think. Perhaps the “kisser” was being antagonistic and the police man stoically took it.
Anonymous

I agree with LunarMovements. I see tears in his eyes.
Anonymous

I hope this all works out. It looks to me that the protestor knows that the cop, or traffic cop, has no choice but to be there. Maybe he’s saying to him “This wil be better for you too if we can get what we want, which is Mubarak out”.
ill lich

Now turn and offer him the other cheek.
Anonymous

I didn’t know that John Turturro was an Egyptian police officer!
bklynchris

Its a touching photo. kind of like the photo of the students in the 60′s who put flowers in the barrels of the rifles of the ROTC students, I think it was at Kent State?

I was with a group of 12 yo boys who all share some degree of emotional delay at a pizza parlor today. They wanted me to to ask to have the huge flatscreen flashing at our table changed from CNN coverage of the protest to Cartoon Network. At first I said no thinking it a childish request. They then became very upset vocalizing their anxiety as they saw that the police were now using “live ammunition”, I said they shouldn’t worry. Pandemonium soon broke out amongst the boys when they saw that the policemen were firing into the crowds. I asked to have the channel changed. It was touching that these boys’ sense of empathy found it intolerable, and yet all of us neurotypicals were oblivious.

ie? This photo helps us all feel the importance of the Egyptians current struggles. I wish I could have shared this photo with them.
- Anonymous
  
  i wish there were a way to promote comments here. i would, this one.
- Seraphim_72
  
  Though others may scoff. God Bless You.
- Anonymous
  
  @bklynchris: This in itself a really good story. Shows us / reinforces to us the ways that kids teach us, so purely and succinctly. We may think we know them, but they have motives which are a lot purer than what we project onto them.
shava

Despite Wm S. Burrough’s opinion on the topic, I still believe that such moments are moving toward reconciliation at the end of conflict.

The BBC and Toronto Star had reports of police joining the protesters — and the military and local police in conflict — in Cairo. I just hope everything comes out as peacefully as possible.

I was in Seattle for the WTO in 1999, when the Seattle police chief was removed from command of the up-to-then generally peaceful protests, and the National Guard and various bits were called in from out of town — because the delegates were having problems getting from their hotels to the ministerial. Where before there was a “hey, these are our kids” containment strategy, the clubs and gas canisters came out pretty damn quick, and all this largely because the governor and state departments were embarrassed for their “guests.”

If such an action happened in DC, you know there would be violence, because the “kids” would be from out of town in the majority. It’s a shame. Our press calls them protests in Cairo but here it would be “riots” reported fairly quickly.

We need more young people willing to do the hard work of politics (often more subtle and less satisfying than marching on the streets). Anyone in Boston wants a mentor, they should look me up…:)
Anonymous

- a Tien-An-Men moment.
Anonymous

he is not a police officer , he’s just an ordinary soldier in the national guard who is suffering like any other Egyptian . the protesters feel pity for them because they know that these soldiers are on their sides but they have know choice but following the commands of the higher ranks . that’s why he kisses him to express his appreciation
sean

The police man seems strangely unmoved.
- LunarMovements
  
  I was thinking just the opposite. It seems to me he is swimming in emotion – perhaps even drowning in it. I see guilt, regret, and possibly a bit of fear in his eyes. Both he and the man kissing him know that he doesn’t have much choice about being there. The forgiveness the man offers him with that kiss probably makes the police officer feel these emotions even more strongly. But this is just my personal interpretation of the photo.
  - Anonymous
    
    I agree with you 100%. You can see that he is almost at his breaking point. His eyes tell a such a story and the emotions are trying to break through…an absolutely incredible photograph, in my opinion.
knoxblox

Amazing photograph.

At the risk of sounding “nation-centric” (what’s the proper word, please?), I sort of get the feeling that this kind of action would be twisted into an assault charge here in the U.S.

Now, back to my concern over the troubles of those halfway around the world…

Here’s to a new Egyptian democracy. Not an American democracy, but a democracy of Egypt’s own making. Good luck to you.
- AndyP
  
  You are right. That would be considered assault here. Welcome to life in the USA….
  - Anonymous
    
    Yes, but in the USA he would have been tazed, beaten, and pepper-sprayed before he got within five feet of the cop – and then – the protester would be charged with assault.
Antinous / Moderator

If you’ve never been to Cairo, you might not realize that there are about a million police officers. Like literally about a million. Like if you drive a couple of blocks, you will see dozens of cops on the street on a normal, peaceful day.

Also, they wear very tight, white uniforms.
- Cowicide
  
  Also, they wear very tight, white uniforms.
  
  Is that why he’s tearing up? His pants are too tight?
Anonymous

“ts a touching photo. kind of like the photo of the students in the 60′s who put flowers in the barrels of the rifles of the ROTC students, I think it was at Kent State?”

No, that was the barrels of the National Guard – ROTC students were never called out and would never have been mustered for riot duty. And, no, that was not at Kent State.
Poon Hound

Yay. Its all peace and love. Wait until the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist groups eventually exploit the situation and ascend to power. Its Iran ’79 all over again.
- Jean-Luc Turbo
  
  If your Iran ’79 prediction comes through, we Americans have ourselves to thank for supporting Mubarak for so long. Yeah, he was a stable ally in a volatile region and all the while abusing the hell out of his own people.
  
  Iran came out the way it did in ’79 thanks to our supporting the Shah while he too, abused the hell out of his own people.
  
  There’s so many other examples of U.S. foreign policy meddling that has actually paved the way for an extremist response, but you probably know them already.
  - Poon Hound
    
    “Iran came out the way it did in ’79 thanks to our supporting the Shah while he too, abused the hell out of his own people.”
    
    Do you know who actually carried out the CIA sponsored coup in 1953? It was a political faction called the Fadayan Islam founded by Navvab Safavi (a Shiite saint). Later, the Fadayan Islam became known as the Iranian Revolutionary party and took control in 1979. Thats right. The guys that America allied themselves with to overthrow mossadegh in 1953 were the same Islamic fascists who overthrew the Shah. The whole “blowback for 1953 doesn’t hold up.”
    - Avram / Moderator
      
      Do you know who actually carried out the CIA sponsored coup in 1953? It was a political faction called the Fadayan Islam
      
      Just wanted to point out that this here claim is way overstated. The coup was carried out by a bunch of groups (acting under CIA instigation, for the most part). Fedayeen of Islam, sure, but also Iranian fascist groups, as well as ordinary mobsters, and circus performers. (And no, being strict Islamists is not the same as fascism.) (And I’m not making up the part about the circus performers.)
      
      Fedayeen of Islam didn’t like the Mossadeq government because it wouldn’t implement a sharia-based theocracy. When the Shah came back into power, he also wouldn’t implement a sharia-based theocracy, so they didn’t like him either.
      
      The whole “blowback for 1953 doesn’t hold up.”
      
      How do you figure? Even if things were exactly as you describe, that would still be a CIA asset turning against US interests — a classic case of blowback.
- Ugly Canuck
  
  So you would rather that the truncheons sang their song?
  
  Here’s a song you may like, perhaps it will assuage you fears:
  
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlKw9iku3N8
  
  Thanks for your support.
  - Poon Hound
    
    Just not as optimistic about the future of the Middle east as Ya’ll are. You know as well as I do that Islamic Fascists are licking their chops over this, and they probably will eventually control the politics of the region because you never see a populist uprising against fundamentalist Islam from any Musim peoples anywhere ever.
    - Ugly Canuck
      
      “…you never see a populist uprising against fundamentalist Christianity from any Christian peoples anywhere ever.”
      
      Is this surprising? Given a choice, all
      religious people always choose their religion over their politicians – every time.
      
      Not Islam, but religion itself is the problem. All of them.
      
      Let’s fight over who possesses the true mandate from heaven!
      
      We have recently seen some very bloody sectarian conflict amongst and between Muslims, eh?
      
      Reminiscent IMHO of the bloody scenes from the history of intra-Christian conflict which have played out over and over again during the past two millennia.
- Antinous / Moderator
  
  We should suspend the US Constitution and institute permanent martial law in the US before the fundamentalist Christians take over.
  
  It’s the only way to be sure.
  - Poon Hound
    
    I guess I’m not as optimistic about the future of the Middle east as you are.
    
    You know as well as I do that Islamic Fascists are licking their chops over this, and they probably will eventually control the politics of the region because you never see a populist uprising against fundamentalist Islam from any Musim peoples anywhere ever.
    - Ugly Canuck
      
      Still beating the “fear all Muslims” drum, eh?
      
      This is not an Islamic revolution, but the wrong response to it from the world may make it one.
      
      Of interest:
      
      http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/africa-mideast/us-officials-backed-rebels-planning-egyptian-uprising-in-2008-wikileaks/article1887439/
    - Ugly Canuck
      
      As you seem familiar with the region, perhaps you could explain why the ismlamic Fundamentalists did not seize power in Egypt when Britain, the former Colonial power, left Egypt back in 1952.
      
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_modern_Egypt#Revolution_of_1952
      - Poon Hound
        
        The Muslim Brotherhood, the largest international Islamic organization in the world, which includes subsidiaries like Al-qaeda, Hamas, and CAIR, is going to try to make this otherwise secular uprising into an Islamic revolution, just like the Ayatollas did in Iran in ’79.
        
        The reason why Egypt did not become an Islamic supremicist sharia state was because it was a military coup that installed another secular totalitarian regime, not a populist uprising like we are seeing today, plus the 1950′s Egyptian culture is not the same as today. The Muslim brotherhood is more popular and powerful than ever.
        
        There most certainly is populist opposition to fundamentalist Christianity in countries like America today. For example, this website. There is a monumental progressive force in the west that is extremely effective in stemming the tide of Christian fundamentalism.
        
        For those who like to equate Christian fundamentalism with Islamic fundamentalism, I like to quote the great progressive homosexual author and activist Bruce Bawer, “Pat Robertson just wanted to deny me marriage; the Imams wanted to drop a wall on me.”
      - Antinous / Moderator
        
        I’m not quite sure how I feel about a commenter called Poon Hound quoting a gay author to justify xenophobia.
        
        I take that back. I am sure.
      - Poon Hound
        
        What, you can’t be a libertarian agnostic who hates Islam and like poon at the same time? What are you a heterophobe? =P
      - Mark Dow
        
        My weakness is xenopoonophobia.
      - Anonymous
        
        What, you can’t be a libertarian…
        
        Sure you can. Just try not to make up too many fantasy scenarios, the way some of your fellow libertarians do.
        
        …agnostic…
        
        Why not?
        
        …who hates Islam…
        
        Depends. Disagree with Islam and object to many of its common practices, be disgusted by them even, sure. Hate it so much that you don’t like the idea of Muslim democracy because those people are all too horrible to deserve it? Not so much.
        
        …and like poon at the same time?
        
        Defining yourself by poon suggests you might not really respect women as people, but myself, it’s the idea of liking poon at the same time as hating Islam that creeps me out.
      - Poon Hound
        
        democracy is mob rule. A republic that guarantees universal human rights for the individual is preferable. It isn’t a matter of who “deserves” democracy, or anything for that matter. A republic where the Koran is the constitution is a horror show because there is no aknowledgement of universal human rights in Islam. Refering to vagina as “poon” is Gloria Steinem compared to how Islam treats women.
      - Antinous / Moderator
        
        Unsatisfied by co-opting the gay movement to reinforce your point, you’ve started wielding feminism. I eagerly await you quoting the Qur’an to ‘prove’ that Islam is evil.
      - Anonymous
        
        There’s no acknowledgment of universal human rights in the bible, either, but some western nations have figured out the concept anyways. No thanks to you, if you think they should be dole out to people based on their group affiliation.
- Ugly Canuck
  
  Seriously, though, I think that 83 million Egyptians are quite capable of deciding for themselves how to run their own ancient country.
  
  I only hope that they accomplish this revolution of power with a minimum of blood being shed.
Anonymous

Agreed, that’s a conflicted looking cop.