Last Tuesday marked the first anniversary of the Beni Sweif fire that took place on 5 September 2005 during a theatrical performance at a governmental "cultural palace", claiming some 50 lives and leaving many injured. A commemorative event, to which survivors and members of victims' families were invited, was held at the Press Syndicate in Cairo on Tuesday. Organised by activists and ad hoc committees who have campaigned this past year to see those in charge tried for their neglect before and after the catastrophe and also for securing compensation for victims of the accident, the evening was in three parts. It began with a song concert the lyrics of which -- some elegiac, others political -- were based on poems mostly by Ibrahim Abdel-Fattah though including one by Ahmed Fouad Negm, set to music by Gamil Attiya. This was followed by a documentary on 5 September directed by Asmaa Yehia Al-Tahir Abdullah, about the victims of the fire, comprising photos, excerpts from filmed plays, and footage of interviews and public appearances. Finally, survivors of the Beni Sweif fire and families of victims were called to the stage to receive commemorative scrolls.
