Revolutionary singer Ramy Essam joined other musicians, such as the “Egy Lions Family” rap group and traditional Sufi performers, in a concert in Tahrir Square last night. A few thousand attendees crammed into the square earlier in the day to break fast together and prepare for the concert, despite the presence of police and military officers who have occupied the square for the past two weeks. Some military officers were even seen aiding the organizers in erecting a large stage. As more and more people flowed into the square, the armed forces sent additional soldiers and police officers into the central area of the square, which remained blocked. In the lead up to the concert, protesters marched around the square waving flags and chanting such phrases as “Down with the military rule,” “The people want the fall of the marshal [Tantawi],” “The interior [ministry] are thugs” and “Egypt is a civilian state.” For a short period of time, clashes were reported between protesters and the security forces, although the event remained mostly peaceful. The main theme of the night seemed to be civil government. Those who were given the chance to speak from the stage repeatedly stressed that Egypt is not a religious or military state, and that the Egyptian people want a peaceful, civil government. Essam sang in one of his songs “We are all one hand, and we demanded one thing – civilian [government].” One of the most striking features of the event was the participation of Sufi groups, who have been generally absent from most demonstrations in the past months. The traditional performers sang religiously-themed tunes and the crowd seemed to react just as positively to their style as to the more modern, secular style of Essam and the rap artists. Attendees included young people, families, older citizens and of course, the expected opportunist vendors. Traffic continued to pass through the square throughout the night, however, the pace was sluggish and motorists displayed mixed reactions to the congestion. Some hung out their car windows, celebrating along with the pedestrian revelers, while others impatiently honked their horns and revved their engines.
