This warden message is being issued to alert U.S. citizens in Egypt of the potential for continued demonstrations in Cairo over the next few days. The Embassy reminds all U.S. citizens to avoid areas with heavy police presence or crowds assembling and to exercise caution if within the vicinity of any large public gatherings and demonstrations.
As a result of events at Tahrir Square during the previous days and nights, indications are that sporadic or planned demonstrations will continue in the immediate future.
Tahrir Square Metro Station is closed as of mid-afternoon June 29. U.S. citizens who do not live or work near Tahrir Square should avoid the area during the afternoon and night of June 29. U.S. citizens resident in Egypt should monitor local news broadcasts for updated information about locations of demonstrations. U.S. citizens visiting Cairo should seek information from their hotel or tour guide in planning their activities in the next week. Even demonstrations or events intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and possibly escalate into violence. If caught unexpectedly near a demonstration, U.S. citizens should seek to depart the area as quickly as possible and should follow the instructions of Egyptian police and military personnel.
On Wednesday June 29, 2011, a soccer game is scheduled between the Al Ahly and Zamalek teams at approximately 6:00 p.m. The game will take place at the Cairo Stadium in Nasr City on Salah Salem Road. Attendance is expected to be as high as 70,000 fans and will begin to negatively impact traffic as early as 2:00 PM in the surrounding areas. The sheer volume of people travelling to the game may lead to some road closures and traffic disruption in the general vicinity of these areas. Police preparations might cause similar traffic disruptions. The Embassy urges U.S. citizens to avoid the area of Nasr City and the Cairo Stadium during the immediate time leading up to and in the hours after the match. Those who must go to Nasr City, Heliopolis and the Cairo Airport should plan to arrive at their intended destinations on time.
In addition, several groups have called for demonstrations at the Embassy over the next few days. At this time the Embassy has no specific information on the size of the protests or indication of violent intent. There is likely to be an increased police and military presence in the area of the Embassy. The Embassy plans to be open for normal consular services on Thursday June 30. Consular clients should be prepared to show their consular appointment letters and identification at security checkpoints near Tahrir Square and the Embassy. Should the Embassy need to close on short notice because of security concerns, instructions for consular clients will be posted on the Embassy website at http://egypt.usembassy.gov. The Embassy will be closed on Monday July 4 in celebration of U.S. Independence Day.
The Embassy reminds U.S. citizens to review their personal security plans and remain alert to their surroundings at all times in Egypt. For the latest security information, U.S. citizens traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department of State’s Internet website where the Worldwide Caution, Country Specific Information for Egypt, Travel Warnings, and Travel Alerts, including the current Travel Alert for Egypt, can be found. You can also follow the Bureau of Consular Affairs on Twitter and on Facebook. Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada, or, for callers outside of the United States and Canada, on a regular toll-line at 1-202-501-444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
U.S. citizens are advised to maintain valid travel documents and enroll with the Department of State or the U.S. Embassy Cairo through the State Department Smart Traveler Enrollment Program website, https://travelregistration.state.gov. For further information, U.S. citizens may call the Embassy’s American Citizen Services Unit at 2797-2301 during business hours, Sunday to Thursday from 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. For emergencies after business hours and on weekends and holidays, U.S. citizens can contact the Embassy Duty Officer via the Embassy switchboard on 2797-3300. The Embassy is located at 5 Tawfik Diab Street (formerly known as Latin America Street), Garden City, Cairo.