In action

In action...

and the finished product. Translation: "No to military trials for civilans-- Freedom for Ali El-Halaby"

Last night I was sitting at Borsa (a street cafe in downtown) and saw this piece of street art being put up. This was the first time I've seen steet art in action.

The artists worked very quickly (less than 5 minutes) and from what I could tell asked the owner of the cafe for permission. (The wall has other pieces of street art and has been painted white several times since I've been in Cairo). The artists used a stencil that they had already cut out and as two of them held the stencil up, the other spray-painted. (While much of the street art is done in paint, this piece was in fact done with spray paint).

It makes sense that the artists were working discreetly at night. Ali El-Halaby is a member of the April 6th movement who was arrested last week for graffiting ("vandalizing public property").

No military trials for civilians have been a major demand of the Egyptian protesters. Approximately 12,000 Egyptians have stood before military trials since the revolution.

http://english.ahram.org.eg/~/NewsContent/1/64/24624/Egypt/Politics-/-April-Movement-activist-to-stand-military-trial-t.aspx

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/24980/Egypt/Politics-/Rights-group-condemns-referral-of-activist-to-mili.aspx

NOTE: the artists were wearing plastic surgical gloves.