Eyewitness accounts: People in the Egyptian Revolution
Amid Egypt's revolution, individuals lived the drama in their own lives. Here are a selection of stories, some written in the middle of the upheaval, and some after. Have your say and share your stories with us
Amira Noshokaty , Sunday 20 Feb 2011
those who summoned
its a strange feeling
those pro mubarak
the lighth and hope
“Tahrir Square will never be the same to us”
reporters
i found myself
friday
jan 28
a revolution no one
24 hours of hell
nine days and counting
Tahrir Squar
We, the people
I have been living in Rehab City for the past nine years. The idea of creating a neighbourhood watch came to us when we saw television news saying that Rehab City had been invaded by thugs. Watching from our balconies, it was clear how worried we all were. We gathered downstairs and decided to protect the whole district.
When we knew that no looting or thugs had reached Rehab City yet, we started forming human shields, using kitchen knives and licensed rifles. There were lots of senior citizens, so we decided to protect them. The young residents of Rehab managed to organise themselves. They established their own badge, shifts, signal and emergency plan.
I believe that the government and Mubarak are to blame. Those who protested on 25 January are all respectable youth and the protest was a peaceful one. We were expecting that somebody would talk to us, answer us. But nobody did. Those who summoned this genie should know how to dismiss it.
By genie, I mean the thugs that the government counted on to forge the elections and again to destroy the country. We destroyed nothing. On the contrary, we suffered to be able to live here, or buy a car. We are all here to help each other. There is no “I”, there is “us”, and this is the best thing we have achieved today.
— Ahmed Abu Ouf, 35
"We will die in the square"
It is a very strange feeling, when one knows that one is right, not by watching state TV or even Al-Jazeera, for one is inside the event. And then, someone else who is following television programmes on a handful of channels, each with a subjective perspective, talks as if he understands everything that’s going on.
It’s a strange feeling that a person is willing to sacrifice their comfort, family, sleep, food, one’s self, all for one purpose: to say no. To object to a 30-year-old unfair regime. To be one of the reasons for change and bring justice to those unheard. To leave home not knowing if they will come back, in the name of God and one’s country. And to do all this peacefully, yet in the end be accused of threatening the stability and security of the country.
It’s as if all the people are blinded; there’s no other way to describe it. How people protest peacefully, politely (and whoever claims otherwise should come and see for themselves); how they have been calling for their rights while viciously attacked by the regime, and while others are silent, if not believing that they — the protestors — brought it on themselves.
How can people be attacked with live ammunition, firebombs, and get run down simply because they have spoken? And yet people are opposing them. How come a dear friend would call blaming us, saying "You are the ones who destroy”? How come the president himself comes out, after he destroyed the country and withdrew its security, and claims that we are to blame? All after killing more than 300 Egyptian citizens who had the right to voice their opinion. After he unleashed thugs and opened prisons, leaving them to loot, rob and destroy. After dismissing the police. After all this he becomes the “loving father” and people would come out and say yes to Mubarak?
Things are becoming funny. The latest rumour is that the eight million protestors in Egypt — especially those in Tahrir Square, and that’s us — are contracted by some unknown party (the Brotherhood of course) to create a coup d'état, and to make way for opposition parties. There is also another interesting saying that Iran is the one who paid the thugs, and who knows it could be Al-Qaeda as well, so that we leave nobody out.
Aren’t those who are saying such things ashamed of themselves? It’s completely nonsense. Who is most likely to be paid to say so? For one week, we are watching people beaten and dying infront of our eyes, and that only encourages us and makes us believe more in their cause. It makes us resent more and more the unfair, corrupt, tyrannical regime. A friend of my brother told him that someone dropped by his home and offered him LE500 to come and be a thug in the square.
And the funny thing is the calls I get from my friends claiming that, “You do not see the whole picture, and you do not feel the fear we are living in; you are thinking with your hearts and not your minds,“ and a lot of this nonsense. So who can see the whole picture really, those who are watching CNN or those who are watching Channel 1?
Dear God, I really cannot believe it.
Since Friday, I have not slept but twice at home. I have spent the rest of the days with people in Tahrir, because I could not go home. Also my brother and father are living in Tahrir, risking their lives. And this is nothing compared to the people who were beaten on Tuesday. And after all this I am told by some people that I "do not feel the fear" they are living?
I swear I am not bragging about being part of the protests, despite the fact that it is quite an honour. And I am not writing this to mock those who did not join the protest. I just wanted to say ENOUGH. Enough watching in silence and passivity. Stop seeing this from this or that perspective. Come down and see what’s happening in Tahrir Square and then oppose or agree. See who is the real thug and who is the real agent.
Before I conclude, I want to address those who are pro-Mubarak simply because "there is no one else to rule". If you really are following what’s happening with protestors and their demands you would know that the People's Committee of the Revolution has concluded the following demands: the resignation of President Mubarak; ending emergency law; ending all attacks on protestors; dismissing parliament and the Shura Council; and the appointment of independent technocrats to rewrite the constitution and to prepare for honest elections.
This committee will include: Naguib Sawiris, Radwa Ashour, Mohamed Salim Al-Awa, Ahmed Kamal Abul Magd, Tarek Al-Beshri and others of the nation’s wise people.This means that the departure of the president does not define the destiny of Egypt. On the contrary, his staying is an obstacle to real change.
By the way, for those who say what’s the difference between leaving today and six months later, what you do not know is that there is a vast difference between a president whose presidency term has expired, and he who resigns. The former will steel the coming period as much as he can, so he leaves a winner he wants to win. And if he leaves normally, during elections, the country will have to provide him a decent retirement on the expenses of the people.
This is a summary of what the family of Tahrir Square is feeling. I would like to end my words with a few other words that are not my own but that belong to the people in Tahrir Square.
2 February 2011 — Midan El-Taghieer (Change Square)
Whoever wants to know the true Egyptian people, what civilisation means, what culture is, who wants to regain self-respect, wants to conquer his fear, and see social solidarity, should go to Tahrir Square.
We knew each other really well, and knew true Egyptians when we sat daily in Tahrir Square. We knew the
meaning of true friendship, courage. True love is obvious from their actions.
And finally, this coming phase will be quite difficult, so we want solidarity to be able to change, because all of us know that our country is deteriorating and none of us were complaining. Real change comes from real people, and I am quoting the revolution: Al Gadaa Gadaa, wel Gaban Gaban, wehna ya Mubarak Hanmout Fel Midan (Those who are courageous, remain so, the cowards remain so, O Mubarak, we shall die in the square).
— Anonymous girl, 18
Chaos came from the regime
Those pro-Mubarak demonstrators, where were they eight days ago? And how come they were allowed in on the protesters against the Mubarak regime in Tahrir Square?
They are for sure not from the Egyptian people. How come they suddenly discovered their love for Mubarak? These are people from the regime. As for those online, the first thing they say is “please stop sabotage,” as if the protesters who first came out are responsible for all the disruption, that they are the reason that work has stopped.
Of course, it’s not us. It’s the regime who has a motive in doing all the destruction and looting. I joined the Tuesday (1 February) protests in Tahrir Square. We were two million, if not more. There were neither acts of destruction, harassment or anything of that sort. There were women, children and senior citizens. No damage happened until those who are said to be pro-Mubarak entered the square on Wednesday. This is all the evidence you need that the demonstrations against Mubarak were peaceful and have nothing to do with the disruption in the country.
— May Haddad, 18
The dazzling light of Tahrir
When I saw what is happening to my friends in Tahrir, at the hands of thugs, it was a nightmare, so I decided to go out there and see the truth.
Inside the square the security was tight, and there were very few cases where one of the thugs was able to sneak in. They were usually spotted right away and turned in to the army. We entered the square at 1pm. After the inspections, there was a great sense of enthusiasm as we walked in. The people greeted us, saying “Welcome back; walk in men.” You walk in after being fed rumours by the lying media; you do not know if you are going to be attacked, or what’s going to happen.
For the first 15 minutes you're just trying to figure it out. Then gradually serenity enters your body, like an answer. We almost didn’t sleep because there was not enough space; people would circulate food and water. Even plain bread.
Somehow, all the people became one. You feel so safe, and this feeling increases by the second until you discover that you are in the safest place in Egypt. Thugs are outside; inside I saw protection, courage, solidarity, all authentic and pure good ethics were in abundance. There were families, women, the elderly. I couldn’t believe that I was in Tahrir Square. I sang off and on stage. People would ask me to sing, I sang with no oud (Arabic lute) until somebody lent me his oud for an hour or so.
At Tahrir Square, I saw nothing but courage, strength, justice, love and patriotism. I felt that I was in the womb bringing a new innocent, honest, true and determined child to the world. This is what I saw and it is my duty to tell everyone so that nobody does injustice to the light and hope in Tahrir.
— Hazem Shahine, singer and music composer, Eskenderella troupe
Inside and outside: two realities
I was told by a friend that going to Tahrir via El-Falaki Street was safer. We were advised to each walk alone, with minimum baggage, so as not to attract thugs. We took a cab to Ramsis Square and walked from there. The thugs were quite noticeable. You could see three thugs together, but if any clashes happened, they become 30 in a second. They would hang out on street corners, watching people on the street. There was a thug holding a big sword in the middle of the street, threatening people.
On the gateway to Tahrir, the People’s Committee of the Revolution would inspect everybody before entering the square for security reasons. We were sitting among average Egyptians who were very aware of the intruders, informers or those who were entering to spread rumours. People would refrain from leaving the square because of the thugs that awaited them at the exits.
It was the difference between inside and outside Tahrir that was interesting. Outside was very tense and thugs were all over; anything could happen and you did not know what to do. Thugs had orders to petrify people, but the protesters managed to counteract and capture them. When they charged in on horses and camels, at first people aimed to capture the horses, but gradually they discovered that it was much easier to aim at those riding them. Gergis was one of those people who jumped and caught the hooligans on horses. He succeeded but broke his leg in the process.
The Muslim Brotherhood were highly represented in Tahrir, but so were all political parties. What was interesting was the people’s ability to organise themselves, between those who would help secure the place, set up watch guards, and those who would go out to buy us food, Tahrir Square will never be the same to us again. Now directions inside the square are marked by where the broadcasting is, where the big screens are, and the location of the square’s hospitals. And we even discovered streets that we never knew existed.
— Amr Abdel Alim, computer science specialist
A terrifying episode
Last Thursday, I was attacked and beaten by a mob of no less than 20 people while taking a picture of the fire that burned through parts of HyperOne Market near the entrance to Sheikh Zayed City. The assault began while I was trying to tweet through my phone that people were insisting the fire was caused by an electrical short circuit.
Suddenly, an older man, quickly joined by others, began yelling at me for attempting to cover “the chaos which Egypt has had enough of". When I said I was an Egyptian journalist and presented a folded piece of paper that stated I worked for Ahram Online, the document was — without even being unfolded — aggressively deemed a joke and ignored. I quickly realised I was surrounded by some half a dozen people that looked like they were itching to throw punches.
And throw they did. As I struggled to protect my head I heard shouts that proclaimed, “We caught a Jew! We caught a Jewish journalist!” Seconds later, as one of the men was dragging me off somewhere through HyperOne’s car park while the others tried to synchronize punches, slaps and kicks at my utterly anesthetised body (thank goodness for adrenaline), I quickly realised I was surrounded by an entire mob of men wielding club, canes and at least one gun.
Quickly the number of people trying to simultaneously land blows on the “Jewish scum” meant that I literally could not breathe from the smothering crowd. I briefly saw a man holding a pistol yelling at the others to move out of way so that he could “finish this”. When he failed to get a clear shot, I heard what sounded like an egg shell cracking above my skull, where my hands were trying to protect my head.
At this point the terrifying thought dawned on me that in about an hour or so my mother would receive news that her son was beaten to death for no reason just down the road from where she lives.
Thankfully, two of the men closest to me took it upon themselves to try to deliver me to the army officers on the main street. Time after time these two saved my life as they stopped others who ran ahead of the crowd to get a good angle at my head with their raised clubs.
Eventually, after my phone was stolen and camera destroyed, I found myself in front of a very unnerved soldier, whom I breathlessly tried to move towards through the still incoming blows. Seemingly unsure whether to shoot at me or the crowd, the soldier eventually fired round after round in the air. At this point, I never thought the usually hair-raising noise of machine gun fire up close could sound so comforting as it temporarily repelled the blood thirsty mob.
A dizzying moment later, I was locked up inside an army tank as my ID was checked and my work letter finally unfolded and read. I was quickly put in an ambulance where I sighed in disbelieving gratitude that I was relatively unscathed but for an index finger that looked all too similar to a piece of raw kebab.
About two hours later, Hayat TV reported that an “Israeli journalist” had been apprehended near a fire that broke out at HyperOne. The army officer, who vaguely apologised to me on the mob’s behalf while I was inside the tank, had tried to explain all this violence on account of my “suspiciously foreign looking features”.
To me, the real sadness behind this senseless violence was that these people, so far as I could tell, where not of the same calibre as the paid thugs that stormed Tahrir Square or continued to harass and beat up journalists around Downtown. These were ordinary people, many of them presumably protecting the entrance to Sheikh Zayed City. Tragically, at least some of them seemed bent on murder, spurred on by no more than hearsay.
— Hazem Zohny, reporter
“Half a revolution is nothing but a people’s tomb”
I flew from Abu Dhabi Wednesday night, especially to join the revolution. On Thursday, 3 February, I headed to Tahrir Square with my brother and my friend. However, on our way to Tahrir, from the side streets off Qasr El-Nil Street and Bab El-Louq, we were confronted by a group of thugs and undercover police. In my experience as a doctor in rural areas and government hospitals, I knew they were no civilians. I could tell from their tone of voice, vocabulary and movement. They were all harassing pedestrians and vehicles, and insulting people. Adopting violent behavior, they threatened citizens with swords and knives.
We decided to split, thinking that by doing so, each of us would have a chance to reach Tahrir. However, at Mahmoud Bassiouni Street, I encountered two thugs carrying a sword. Suddenly someone called for them to join him. He was grabbing a bag of groceries from a citizen and they joined him to steal the food and beat the man. I saw this as my chance to escape and, thankfully, was greeted a few metres away by the People’s Committee of the Revolution, and I found myself in another world.
In this new world people were welcoming: they apologised whilst searching you to ensure safety and security, and they smiled warmly. Since I am a doctor, I headed to the square’s hospital, which was set on the premises of a small mosque in one of the side streets off Mahmoud Bassiouni Street. Here everything was well-organized and efficient: there were a lot of doctors divided in accordance to their specialties; there were huge supplies of numerous medications, surgery instruments and antiseptics; there was even an oxygen tank and ambulance men ready to transport any critical cases to nearby hospitals.
Most of the victims I treated were those who had encountered the thugs who hung around the edges of the square on Wednesday. Most of the injuries were fractures to the skull and face and ruptures of the eyes: the results of vicious attacks. Looking at the injuries of their victims it seemed the thugs’ weapons included rocks, knives and even rubber bullets. How can thugs have access to rubber bullets? There were also a lot of cases of broken limbs: many of these were victims of the attacks on horse and camelback. We recorded detailed written, video and digital evidence of every case we treated.
Inside Tahrir Square there were all sorts of Egyptians from every walk of life: from Upper Egypt and the Delta, peasants, workers, students, technocrats, doctors, lawyers, engineers, middle class, lower class, etc. They were unanimously speaking a different language, one that was not limited to defying the regime or mocking it. They excelled in analysing the political status quo. Even the simplest of people were extremely aware that they were part of a true revolution and that it must reach its goals no matter what the sacrifices were. A peasant from one of the Delta governorates wisely explained to me: “Half a revolution is nothing but a people’s tomb.”
— Mohamed Abdel Alim, medic
Praying amid gunshots
The day started very early, with thousands of young people anxious about the strange cut in both internet and mobile phones. I took a cab and roamed around Cairo, where there was massive security presence in Tahrir, and all over Downtown, as well as Old Cairo near Al-Azhar and Al-Hussein.
Without prior arrangement, we all met at Cilantro, near Mustafa Mahmoud Mosque. Policemen were standing outside the door in both formal uniforms and plain clothes. One of them was sitting at Cilantro with a newspaper in one hand and a mobile phone in the other, even though mobiles were not working.
At around 11:30am, people started to line up in front of the mosque, and we moved.
In front of the mosque, security cordoned the area and protesters were arguing with high ranking officials to let them walk to Tahrir. Some didn't understand the argument. "I don't like begging police. I don't understand why they are here. They either let us do what we want or be with us," said Basma, a student in her twenties.
Before the prayers, there was some chanting, reporters were filming with actors Khaled El-Sawi, Jihan Fadel and Amr Waked, and directors like Yousry Nasrallah and Khaled Youssef.
Then some people started praying; others waited by the pavement. As soon as the prayers were over, thousands chanted "Down with the regime!" and marched towards Tahrir Square. They managed to walk through Gameat El-Dowwel Arabeyya Street, then Batal Ahmed Abdel Aziz. People chanted back from the balconies and others joined.
We walked safely all the way to Dokki neighborhood and the number kept increasing with other demonstrations merging in until we reached Galaa Bridge. Then the riot police started bombarding us with tear gas. Many people fell on the ground, and an ambulance rushed to the scene carrying those who were suffocating. Young people carried Pepsi cans, vinegar and eye drops in their bags to help those struggling with the effects of tear gas.
The number of smoke bombs fired was insane. It was difficult to breath in the whole area. One of the bombs fell in a building and set it on fire. We all rushed to try to put the fire out. The whole area was covered in smoke and flames. Eventually, they ran out of tear gas and rubber bullets and our number was over 100,000, so they retreated, and we marched again until we reached Qasr El-Nil Bridge. Again our number was increasing as other people merged.
Then the tear gas and rubber bullets started again. This time people didn't want to go back. We were already on the bridge and we could see many people fall injured and we could see a lot of blood.
Some people decided to pray on the bridge in an attempt to attract the sympathy of the police. "They won't shoot us while we are praying," said one demonstrator.
But before the prayers were over, police tanks sprayed us with water and chemicals. Then two police trucks started moving speedily towards protesters, running over some of them. Then two lines of armed policemen chased us back. We all ran fast closing our eyes and we could see line after line of people falling on the ground covered in blood. Some managed to escape and ran to Zamalek, others went back to Dokki.
I was with the group that went to Zamalek where we marched around the neighborhood and attracted some more protesters. We could see many people on the 15th May Bridge marching towards Downtown but couldn't join them as the police were blocking all the bridges and we could hear the sounds of gunshots and smell the tear gas all over. And then we heard that the curfew starts in 10 minutes so we stayed the night in a friend's house in Zamalek.
We were pinned in front of the TV and we saw many police stations on fire and the NDP headquarters also in flames. We were surprised because until we disappeared it was a peaceful protest with not even a stone thrown at policemen. We tried to go back to Tahrir Square but all roads were blocked by police cars on fire and army tanks.
— Lina El Wardani- journalsit
Entering a war zone
I went out on the streets at 4pm to catch up with a protest in Maadi on Corniche El-Nil, one that was heading all the way to Tahrir Square. We were about 200 people when I first joined, but as we walked further down towards Tahrir Square our number kept increasing as more people on the streets and in their balconies joined.
We were chanting for the fall of Hosni Mubarak and our wish for freedom and change from the dictatorial regime. The protest was peaceful and included people from all walks of life: older men with their families, middle aged men and women, groups of women, Muslims, Christians, rich, poor, though the majority was youth.
As we walked past buildings, we chanted for people in their balconies to join. Some smiled and waved, and some even came down to join. Cars driving by honked and cheered for us and some also supplied us with water.
As we walked down and increased in number, we made sure not to block the road for motorists. When any youth raging with anger showed the slightest hint of violence, the crowd would instantly cheer “Peaceful revolution, peaceful revolution!” to discourage any violence or vandalism.
As evening prayer started, the protestors knelt down on the street to pray, but also made sure to leave a lane for the coming motorists. Christians or those who didn’t wish to pray watched over the praying protesters in serenity and most probably sent prayers to God silently within their hearts.
As we came close to Tahrir, night fell and reports came in of the growing violence used against our protesting brothers and sisters over in Tahrir. To confirm these reports, as we approached Tahrir clouds of smoke were seen in the air, burnt cars and tension running through the streets.
I finally reached Tahrir and I recall thinking to myself that I have reached a real war zone. There was the smell of toxic gases in the air, clouds of black smoke everywhere, burnt cars, shattered glass and amidst all this, about 10,000 protesters who we joined in the front line of Qasr El-Aini Street. At the end of the road stood the central security forces, riot police and general Cairo police forces.
They were some 500 metres away from us, and they stood between us and Tahrir Square.
This was an actual war like nothing I‘ve seen in my life, only in movies and on the news. I asked the people who were already there why the street was such a mess and was told that the security forces have been firing ruthlessly at them all day while they were only protesting peacefully. And there were reports of them killing many protesters in other streets leading to Tahrir. I witnessed firsthand several tear gas bombs being fired at us in large numbers, as well as rubber bullets and armoured cars driving at the crowds at full speed (they hit six people in their path).
Protesters were giving out anti-tear gas supplies to each other. We were all united in one voice and hand against what seemed to be a police force that was out to kill. I did not stay out there until the police forces retreated and disappeared because I actually started to fear for my own life. But I felt sad to leave behind my brothers and sisters who were there and refused to back down.
— Ramy Fakhr, university student
A whole people's revolution
This is truly a whole people’s revolution, one that nobody in the world could have anticipated. A lot of people, including myself, have long believed in the greatness of the Egyptian people, despite everything. But we never thought that the revolution will come to pass in such a great way.
When it started on Tuesday, 25 January, no one predicted that it would continue until a giant leap happened on Friday, 28 January, when people assembled from all of Cairo and headed to Tahrir Square. Parallel protests started in Suez, Ismailia, Alexandria and most Egyptian governorates as a continuation of the millions protesting. In reaction, the regime started compromising. However, such concessions are always too little, too late.
This revolution shall continue by God’s will until the president leaves, followed by the regime. Despite the fact that the revolution is yet to be completed, and despite all the regime’s fatal attempts to abort it, the revolution has already succeeded in attaining the following:
• Abolition of all sorts of sectarian violence and harassment. The regaining of the true, kind and peaceful nature of Egyptian people, which was evident in the local committees that were organised to protect residential areas.
• The sympathy of people. Two million protestors gathered in a small place where there was no friction between people. The young people who went out are a great generation, and much better than our own. We apologise and we are thankful for they were the ones who encouraged all segments of Egyptian society to participate (senior citizens, rich, poor, illiterate, workers) in what happened on Tuesday.
• We’ve long envied “million marches” before, but now we have our own. It’s the greatest. The people have suffered a lot and will not back off now.
With every attempt by the regime to clamp down it reveals its ugly face, even uglier than before, as manifested in the thugs the regime rented to attack the protesters. The army was complicit in this as it did not intervene quickly to end the violence.
The army allowed the thugs in, allowed people on camels and horses to get in, though they were in sight 18 kilometres before Tahrir Square. The army, the police heads, the media heads of Nile Satellite TV and Egyptian national television are all part of the president’s regime. And they will all fall when the president leaves.
This revolution shall be marked in the history of humanity as a true people’s revolution, only equivalent to the French Revolution 200 years ago. The past 10 days have shaken the world.
— Hassan Haddad, banker
Put the regime on trial
Tahrir Square looked like a war zone this morning. At the exits and entrances leading to the square, rock storms thundered over barricades erected the previous night.
The attack started midday yesterday, when pro-Mubarak protesters (allegedly hired thugs, policemen and government employees paid or forced) invaded the square that had been the centre of peaceful demonstrations since Friday. Horses and camels and thugs wielding weapons took the protesters by surprise and killed at least seven and injured over a thousand.
The anti-Mubarak camp quickly retaliated and began mining the pavements for rocks to defend themselves. By the early evening the square had turned into a scene from Gaza, with scattered bodies everywhere and wounded noses, heads and eyes. Tears ran down young people’s eager faces, and battlefield lingo was bellowed by the resisting protesters: "We have liberated Kasr El-Nil Bridge from the thugs," "Supplies are on their way," "Men needed at the museum front!"
At 3pm, Ahmed Talaat, a protester who was dragged away by pro-Mubarak thugs and beaten, was bleeding from his head while screaming, "The regime wants Egyptians to kill each other. They have destroyed Tahrir Square and the thugs are ruthlessly killing us inside and outside!"
I tried to rescue Talaat from the violent mob but couldn't as the pro-Mubarak demonstrators surrounded me and started harassing me: "Who are you?" "We love Mubarak," "We are going to kill those in Tahrir," "Are you pro-Baradei? Who are you with?" "Don't go inside, you will be killed!"
There was so much tension, screaming and shouting, I ended up roaming around Downtown for two hours until I managed to enter the square at around 5:30pm.
Mohamed Sami, a protester at Tahrir Square, complained that the army had left the square for pro-Mubarak thugs to invade. "They let them go and ran away," he said. His friend, Ingy, interrupted: "The army doesn't want to kill them or us; that's why they are not interfering."
Here another young tearful woman, Abeer, agreed with Ingy, adding: "I saw a soldier put his gun in his mouth and threaten to kill himself if his commander didn’t order him to shoot in the air to scare the pro-Mubarak thugs away."
When asked if she felt defeated, Abeer said: "We are winning the battle. Mubarak is now exposed in front of the whole world, and people will not leave Tahrir Square before he is put to trial for his crimes. I am just upset that those attacking us are Egyptians.”
Filmmaker Ahmed Maher was also very emotional. "Since yesterday they have been gathering thugs to chant pro-Mubarak slogans and beat and kill protesters," said Maher. “They drag anyone they see and beat them to death." Maher confirmed that he has seen this happen to several people and that he escaped police gunfire and thugs miraculously.
Abeer said the violence started in the morning when state security were standing in front of buses in Heliopolis where she lives, calling on people to go on the bus to join pro-Mubarak protests. "A policeman approached me and asked me to join,” said Abeer. “I said no, I am going to Tahrir Square. At this point they all started beating, harassing and cursing me. I fled in a taxi and miraculously came here."
Abeer is like many young and old Egyptians who were previously not interested in politics and have no religious affiliations but are nonetheless all anti-regime and pro-democracy. In spite of the beatings, they are hopeful for the future.
One of the young protesters at the square, Ahmed Regab, said: "He is going to his end soon. No one wants him, especially after the civil war he has created. Now it is not only 30 years of injustice and corruption, it is hundreds of innocent civilians brutally killed by his regime.”
-Lina El Wardani, journalist
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