Egypt Solidarity Rally In Los Angeles

Hundreds gathered at the Federal Building in Westwood this Saturday morning to show solidarity with the protests in Egypt. The large crowd of Egyptians and Egyptian-Americans were joined by labor and anti-war activists, some of which were there to protest the United States' foreign aid to the Mubarak government. Right now, America hands over $1.5 billion to Egypt annually, $1.3 billion of which is marked for the military.

USC's Neon Tommy quotes one of the speakers at the rally:

"This revolution will be remembered in the same way as the French revolution, and the Russian revolution," said Mohamed Kolkea as he spoke to the crowd. "We must show the people of Egypt that we support them. The reign of Mubarak must end now. Not seven months from now!"

The Jewish Journal reports that the Los Angeles demonstrations were peaceful, as event organizers worked closely with police to keep things nonviolent: "Los Angeles Police Department officials were at the scene on Saturday, but Ali and LAPD officers worked together on keeping the demonstration calm."