Posted in 2001. Wednesday 18 July witnessed the strength of people power. For the first time in Egypt ordinary people protested police repression and injustice against a community who until now suffered silently. In Newspapers from Britain's Guardian to the New York Times the world read of the State's long campaign to intimidate and frighten gays into the closet. When a woman in court shouted "injustice, injustice" she started something just as momentous as when a Puerto Rican boy's taunts at police officers commenced the Stonewall Riots of 1969 and the world's first gay liberation movement. But in Egypt the stakes are far higher than they ever were in America. Everyday gay men are arrested, intimidated and beaten. In Luxor one effeminate man, who had never even been to a disco, was beaten by the police merely for having womanish manerisms. Today as he works as a restaurant waiter he tries hard with only partial success to "pass" as a man. On 17 July the crowd in the court vented their fury at the arrogance of the State which had been confident that people would really believe that the detainees had voluntarily signed confessions in a matter of hours after their arrest. Even Egyptian newspapers were able to quote the people's anger that "This is not justice" and "The charges are pure fiction." This publicity has rebounded on a now embarassed Government. The State must not be allowed to get away with locking up these innocent men. If another large and peaceful rally is held on 15 August outside the Court then we increase the chance that all 52 men will be freed. And all the 52 means exactly that. There must be no scapegoat and no one must believe that this was a secret group under the command of some pro zionist religious heretic. It is nonsense and everyone, including the State, knows it. We do not yet know where the trial will be held but as soon as anyone does we ask you to spread the word so that people can successfully protest this "show trial". And that it really what it is. An attempt on the one hand to distract people from the real problems of poverty, unemployment and corruption and on the other to frighten Egypt's growing gay community back into the closet. We have to turn the tables on the State and let the publicity expose the ugly flaws of a regime based on fear, repression and summary trials. Protest the trial and you bring freedom of expression one step nearer. Latest news 22 May 2012: Cairo psychiatrist claims he can "cure" 70 to 75 per cent of gay teenagers.