On my way to Tahrir Square

On my way to Tahrir Square, the taxi driver began a conversation by asking, “Why are there still people sitting-in at Tahrir?”

After Mubarak’s fall, there became a division among the people about the continued sit-in at Tahrir Square. One side said, “I didn’t feel any change. Back to Tahrir.” The other side said, “Who is still there? Why?”

Tahrir Square has always been symbolic. Sit-ins before the revolution were an expression of extreme rage and protest against the ruling regime. The groups who demonstrated on the 25th and 28th of January were moving from everywhere to Tahrir Square, and the sit-in from January 28 until February 11 was a true symbol of persistence and resilience until Mubarak’s fall.

Revolution.

Adding to the debate supporting the benefits of the Tahrir sit-in, a new debate arose about the “strange people” in the square. There were claims that these were not “revolution youth.” People said they looked like “thugs,” and there was evidence to support the theory: a new wave of violence in Tahrir and near the Ministry of Interior on June 28.

Still, some defended the demonstrators, saying, “Accusing them of being thugs is an insult to the poor and a distortion of the revolution.”

Thus, E’adet Nazar will try to find answers in Tahrir Square and discuss the issues with you during our show on Friday, July 8 at 11pm on al-Nahar channel.