The catastrophe at Maspero last week made it clear that it is nearly impossible for protestors to avoid manipulation and distortion by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF). On Sunday, the peaceful demonstrators set out to call attention to discrimination against Copts. The powerful regime apparatus met them with deadly violence and manipulated their message with propaganda, making it appear that the bloodshed was the fault of the peaceful protestors who were in fact the victims. This same story has been repeated time and time again, with a notable example being the July 8 sit-in. Even though the demonstrators had a specific list of demands which most citizens supported, the government was able to turn public opinion against them and eventually cleared the square by force on the first day of Ramadan. Local observers cheered as more than 300 of their fellow citizens were carted away in military trucks. “If you're not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed and loving the people doing the oppressing.” –Malcolm X Due to the SCAF's refusal to make any policy concessions, hardly any protest since the original January 25 Revolution has resulted in a serious change in the transitional government's policy. It could be argued that demonstrations led to the trial of Hosni Mubarak sooner than the military rulers wanted, but we have yet to see any real progress in his slow prosecution. One could also say that the recently announced election law modifications, allocating two thirds of the seats to party lists, was a success for those in opposition to the SCAF, but that victory came mostly from the pressure of political parties threatening to boycott the elections, not from protestors on the street. Despite months of protests, demonstrations, sit-ins and all the violence that goes along with them, the main grievances of the Egyptian people remain largely unaddressed by the SCAF. Civilians are still being tried in military courts, many corrupt former regime officials have not been prosecuted, the state of emergency remains in effect, victims of the January 25 Revolution still go uncompensated and discrimination against religious minorities continues. The ineffectiveness of protest during Egypt's transition period is not for a lack of passion, determination or good intentions on the part of the organizers or participants. These demonstrations have been distorted and hijacked by the SCAF, former regime officials and other elites wary of change. Since the initial success of January 25, the government has learned to diffuse the powerful tool of protest. It is time for a new tactic. It is time for everyone to turn their attention to the upcoming elections. The upcoming parliamentary elections on November 28 are a chance for those who started the revolution to finally seize power and make the changes they have been demanding for so long. Protests and demonstrations are not only being distorted and manipulated, but they are also distracting people from preparing for a more important demonstration of opinion—voting. If those who demand change continue to waste their time battling the SCAF in the street, which is exactly what the SCAF wants them to do, they will miss out on the opportunity that the elections provide to make a real change. Those who are motivated enough to dedicate their time to demonstrations should use their energy to spread the message of their chosen political party by canvassing their local neighborhood, talking with people in the street and educating their friends, family and acquaintances about the issues at hand. The SCAF has already skewed every demonstration and protest since January 25 and betrayed the revolution it claimed to protect. Don't let them hijack the elections as well. BM
