Police and Military Presence in Egypt

There is a heavy police and military presence in Egypt. We saw more armed personnel here than in all the countries we have visited combined! The police seem to wear white uniforms, while the military were in black. Along the roadways there are frequent "checkpoints" where guards with rifles are stationed behind barricades or on roofs of buildings.  Several times our excursion coaches were stopped so that dogs could walk around the bus or mirrors were used to check for contraband underneath the bus. 

Our excursion buses to Luxor and Cairo were accompanied by police escorts and there were armed security guards on many of the buses. While we had lunch on a boat cruising the Nile River, there were 4 police boats surrounding us.  This heavy police presence seems to be a result of recent terrorist activity, concern about violence against tourists, and the close proximity to other Middle Eastern countries with civil unrest. While it was comforting to know that security was a top concern, it was also somewhat intimidating to see so many guns around. Below are some photos Rick took of police and militaryin Egypt.