Watch CBS News

Bay Area Egyptians Following Violence In Homeland

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS/AP) – Dozens of private jets have been flying out of Cairo's airport on Sunday, carrying a range of Arabs, Westerners and in some cases Egyptian celebrities.

But thousands of others trying to flee the country have limited options, having to spend the night at the airport or not being able to get seats on flights.

The country's national carrier, Egypt Air, was forced to cancel or delay 25 flights on Sunday because crews were either unable to get to the airport in time or were too concerned about their safety.

The U.S. Embassy has recommended that Americans leave Egypt as soon as possible, but officials have yet to send in any special flights.

KCBS' Mark Seelig Reports:

Meanwhile, in the Bay Area, many Egyptians are following the violence in their home country very closely, including 53-year-old Akram Ghazal, a Palo Alto doctor who witnessed the government of Hosni Mubarak first hand.

He said he still has a bitter taste in his mouth when he thinks about the circumstances that led him to flee Egypt. He was in medical school and couldn't find a job because of high unemployment in health services and he was banned from speaking publicly while he was a student.

"There is no freedom, no freedom of speech," he said. "There are no human rights. There is no democracy whatsoever."

Ghazal has visited his home country since leaving and said it's simply not the country he grew up in, changing for the worse and leading to the current uprising that he said is long overdue.

"I wish I had been there. And I wish that it happened 10-20 years ago," Ghazal said.

He said it's way past time for President Mubarek to step down and that the citizens of Egypt are not interested in someone taking over the regime with the same ideals and policies.

(© 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.