Tahrir remains the center piece of the
Egyptian drive for change that the Youth have driven, not once but twice.
Actually for Egyptians to rise it is something difficult, for them to rise
twice it is impossible, but after all “impossible is nothing”. I have to
confess that my presence in Tahrir in the second wave of change has been far
less than the two weeks earlier in the year, but I have managed to find myself
there on many occasions, and it feels different than Feb 2011.
I have to admit that although the square for face value seems to be more unified than the last 10 month (since 12th Feb) in the message coming out, but it was differently not the same inside. The square looked more like many islands that are far apart and different. The people camping out in the center square, the people camping in front of Omar Makram and at the Governmental office building, were different then the people in the street coming from Kasr ElNil bridge. They were also different from those still remaining at Mohamed Mahmoud and definitely apart from those at the Prime Minister’s office building. Each was a world of their own and the diversity in interests, people, language, and environment stood out sharply. I guess the Jan-Feb events happened too quickly and the people camped long before street venders made it to the square. The venders had to find their place amidst all of this then and focused more on water and limited services. This time around the street venders were there long before the people and they made sure to take prime and large places in the square. They setup chairs and stores and different type of food for different level of people. The people camping in had to find a place with the field hospitals and clinics that were big and setup all around the square in response to the violence that was happening the previous days. The people were different, with young kids and people from lower social segments and poor communities strolling in the square. The level of cleanliness and conduct were different then before. It was still a pleasant feeling in the place but hugely diverse than before. The crowd at the Prime Minister’s office were again in a huge contrast to square, engraving this sense of diversity.
It is different, and the memories of Jan-Feb 2011 and the feeling that used to come to me in the square were long gone. It was still more decent than other places in town and the revolutionary and young energy in the square were definitely nice, but the diversity made me feel more eerie about the potential of a solution out of the hole Egypt is in. Coming to bring all the walks of life in Egypt to agree would be far more difficult now, and unfortunately it is the only way out. The complexity of the situation needs people who can elevate beyond difference, and the environment they are in this time around doesn’t help. We need a miracle, in times where miracles are rare, e to come out of the hole safely and in ways to realise the potential of this country. Nonetheless, the optimist I am (yes I am a black hat but an optimist at the same time), still am hopeful that we will be moving forward from this and will end in a better place. May the Winter of change in Egypt come with better outcomes than those brought to use in the Arab spring.
I made it to Tahrir at a late hour on
Friday evening and into the early hours of Saturday. It was different than a
few night before and I parked in my usual place at the Zamalek end of Kasr
Elnil bridge. I was the only car there, which was not the normal and I thought
to drive up again and park further down but settled for the usual routine. It
was a chilly night in Cairo, and the walk along the bridge was a pleasant memory
of how beautiful this location is and also with a lot of memories of the
revolution. Towards the end of the bridge the sound of music was loud from
underneath where a tea stand was setup on the Cairo bank. I also noticed the
degree of cleanliness was less than usual, even for the average of Cairo. As I
approached the checkpoints set for those entering the square I noticed a lot of
motorbikes and a TokTok parked, it was a different sight from the long lines
and order back in Feb. Checking was simple and seemed to be disorganized then
before, but I was in. I made it through the square and out from the end of
Elsheikh Rehan street making my way to the prime Minister’s office building
where friends were waiting. I noticed a few street venders setting up
electricity from the light pole in the street and a lot of different faces in
the square, a crowd that was different than before. A few kids were playing
with a ball in the space inform of the Tahrir office building, tents of
different shapes and sizes set in front of the building and a few guys trying
to get a TV set operational to help pass the night. As I walked out I noticed a
larger amount of garbage that was left on the side, and the public toilet cabin
was over filled, abused and signs of vandalize all over it. Walking along Kasr
Eleiny street towards the prime minister’s office building was far better, and
brought better images of Cairo Downtown and how it can be charming. As I
entered the zone around the Prime Minister’s office and through the checkpoint,
the sight of the people stood out. This crowd was different from the one I left
behind in the square. They seemed to be more educated, sophisticated and with
means. Blackberries and smart phones were popular, English was used more, and
people were engaging in more political discussion and the sense of cosiness,
even in the sense of how cross gender relations were expressed. The sight was a sharp contrast to what is
happening in Tahrir. After a few hours there, I made it back through the square
and at the entrance at Elsheikh Rehan I witness as heated discussion between a
few kids on unlicensed motorbikes that wanted to make it in and the guards were
not letting them, the tone was different and the peaceful nature and acceptance
that was back in Feb were no longer there. The incident ended, and I continued to
walk to my car passing through tents, then through street venders and people. I
stood to notice the different type of food and services being provided, and how
the street venders were many and different in the square making feel like a
popular market place rather than a revolutionary square. As I walked out I also
noticed the small busses and toktoks offering transport to Haram and Moneed,
too close to the square and too many compared to before. Walking along the
bridge the pleasant cool winds of the Cairo winter started to come back, and
the observation of the Blue Nile boat further down the Nile with people having
an evening out made me think of how the Egyptians can detach themselves from a
lot and keep on going on their lives with no change.
I have to admit that although the square for face value seems to be more unified than the last 10 month (since 12th Feb) in the message coming out, but it was differently not the same inside. The square looked more like many islands that are far apart and different. The people camping out in the center square, the people camping in front of Omar Makram and at the Governmental office building, were different then the people in the street coming from Kasr ElNil bridge. They were also different from those still remaining at Mohamed Mahmoud and definitely apart from those at the Prime Minister’s office building. Each was a world of their own and the diversity in interests, people, language, and environment stood out sharply. I guess the Jan-Feb events happened too quickly and the people camped long before street venders made it to the square. The venders had to find their place amidst all of this then and focused more on water and limited services. This time around the street venders were there long before the people and they made sure to take prime and large places in the square. They setup chairs and stores and different type of food for different level of people. The people camping in had to find a place with the field hospitals and clinics that were big and setup all around the square in response to the violence that was happening the previous days. The people were different, with young kids and people from lower social segments and poor communities strolling in the square. The level of cleanliness and conduct were different then before. It was still a pleasant feeling in the place but hugely diverse than before. The crowd at the Prime Minister’s office were again in a huge contrast to square, engraving this sense of diversity.
It is different, and the memories of Jan-Feb 2011 and the feeling that used to come to me in the square were long gone. It was still more decent than other places in town and the revolutionary and young energy in the square were definitely nice, but the diversity made me feel more eerie about the potential of a solution out of the hole Egypt is in. Coming to bring all the walks of life in Egypt to agree would be far more difficult now, and unfortunately it is the only way out. The complexity of the situation needs people who can elevate beyond difference, and the environment they are in this time around doesn’t help. We need a miracle, in times where miracles are rare, e to come out of the hole safely and in ways to realise the potential of this country. Nonetheless, the optimist I am (yes I am a black hat but an optimist at the same time), still am hopeful that we will be moving forward from this and will end in a better place. May the Winter of change in Egypt come with better outcomes than those brought to use in the Arab spring.
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