» Alexandria, democracy, Egypt, Granville, Jessica Elsayed, Ohio, protests » Egyptian Revolution, Take Two
Egyptian Revolution, Take Two
By Jessica Elsayed
Senior Reporter
GRANVILLE, Ohio, U.S.A. – You justdon’t make the same movie twice, especially since you will know the ending.
Starting Friday, Nov. 18thtill this very moment today on Tuesday, Nov. 22nd, the people ofEgypt have once again taken to the streets, after much patience had slowlydeveloped into much anger.
Many people don’t know about theprotests that have taken place almost every other Friday after the January 25 revolutionin Egypt as it is rarely televised in the United States. The demonstrationswere also considerably non-violent on the side of the police.
Recently, however, the military andpolice have used more violence than ever, at least since the revolution ended,with the excuse of practicing restraint.
Hundreds of people were injured onFriday and Saturday and more than 25 people are dead. The warm neighborhoods ofCairo, Alexandria, Suwes and Ismaeleya have turned into what looks like a warzone.
More than a million people again tookthemselves to the squares in their cities and, more vital yet, the militaryheadquarters, to protest against the Supreme Council for Armed Forces.
Now their chant is, “The peopledemand the removal of the Mosheer (the top general of SCAF).”
The people of Egypt are notfrightened by death or plastic bullet injuries. Thousands suffered from the teargas that was so abundant that it seeped from the streets into people’s homes.
The SCAF, like Mubarak “back in theday,” doesn’t understand.
Only a few moments ago, Field MarshalMohammed Hussein Tantawi, the head of SCAF, addressed the people in the sameaggravating way Mubarak used to do.
Ignoring completely the deaths andpeople in the streets, he told the country that all he wants is what’s good forthem and that his own reputation and that of the military has been stained byoutside forces.
If this is a repeated movie, we allknow Tantawi has two more speeches and a few more days before the people onceagain prevail.
The government handed in itsresignation, including the once hopeful but now disappointing Essam Sharaf, andTantawi has accepted.
After Tantawi’s speech, people arenow angrier and more united than ever.
Unlike other ‘mini’ post-revolutionprotests, this demonstration does not belong to one specific party, mentalityor religion.
Instead, it is one by Egyptians –pure, brave, youth, women, children, men and elders who will not stand by tosee what they worked so hard for destroyed.
The martyrs’ blood from last Januaryand February will not go to waste – and neither will that spilled thisNovember.
For the past four days, we’ve heardstories like that of Ahmad Harrah, a dentist, one of many Januaryrevolutionaries who lost his right eye from a bullet on Jan. 28 and now hisleft on Nov. 19.
Afterward, he said, “To liveblind with dignity is better than living with sight and defeated.”
Stories like these made people who may have not beento the first revolution leave their homes in the midst of the danger and taketo the streets in protest.
There are more people in the demonstration thanever before and they are ready to sacrifice anything and everything to keeptheir freedom.
There is no other solution or demand now exceptfor the leaders of the armed forces to back down.
The people are not satisfied with Tantawi’ssolution to simply have a referendum asking if the people want the SCAF to remainin control because they know the idea is meant to divide the people.
Once trusted, the SCAF initially fooled thepeople into believing that it was the guardian of the revolution, but it turnedout to consist of power hungry hypocrites who do not care for the people ofEgypt.
Despite being scared, insecure and living underconstant tension, people can smell revolution in the air again and they aredetermined to prevail. Millions are still in the street and will stay there untiltheir demands are met.
Revolution 2.0 has only just begun.
God bless the people of Egypt and keep them safe.
Filed under: Alexandria, democracy, Egypt, Granville, Jessica Elsayed, Ohio, protests
i’m just asking about the reporter who wrote this , can i contact her by any mean ?
thanks for your cooperation
If you wish to write to a particular YJI reporter, you may send an email to YJI. We will forward it to the writer.