Wef demos in New York 2002

For a visitor to New York city coming from a country of an authoritative regime like Egypt and thinking of the U.S. as the country of freedom and democracy, the anti-WEF demonstrations was some kind of a reality-check. Talking with an angry demonstrator telling him that he should appreciate the fact that they have the right to peaceful demonstration, he seemed not to understand how may not he has such a basic right.

Telling him that demonstrations are prohibited in many countries of the world and police in those countries are much harsher with any collective criticisms to the ruling regime. “But those countries are dictatorship and their people one day will strongly revolt and most of all, they don’t claim to be the prime guard of freedom and democracy in the whole world” he answered.