CAIRO: Friday's sit-in was supposed to be peaceful. Estimates put the crowds at well over 100,000 protesters. Merchants ran around selling their wares. Friendly old women with weathered expressions served tea to the protesters with an air of brisk efficiency and solemn support. Friday was meant to be a moment of peace and unity, which Egypt has not had since the revolution managed to garner a million people in Tahrir. Egyptians had not shown such unity since the army gave them their support. What went wrong? First, the sit-in was organized by the Salafist leader Hazem Saleh Abu Ismail, who charged the crowd with his speeches and promises. He then proceeded to tell the people it was no longer appropriate to be in the square, and that they must clear it out and come back in one month. His declaration led to thousands upon thousands of Salafist Muslims – those who adhere to a conservative and literal interpretation of the Qur'an – to vacate the square, leaving behind only the most dedicated of protesters. As night rolled on, the protesters formed their own watches. Checkpoints, which were previously being monitored by Salafists, were now run by the remnants, perhaps 5,000 strong at most, according to various estimates. Around 10 PM the first ‘wave' of anti-protest individuals tried gaining entry to the square and had a brief scuffle with the crowd. The next strike came at 1 AM, when a group of men returned with swords, knives and bats. The crowd armed themselves with whatever makeshift weapon they could get their hands on and began their charge. The next 10 minutes consisted of advances, retreats, stone throwing and overall panic and tension running through everyone's veins. Every time there was an attack, the crowd would gather together and march towards the commotion, and every time the crowd would return with even more determination and sense of purpose. The final attack came when an unidentified man tried passing by a checkpoint, only to be denied. An argument ensued causing the unidentified male to pull a knife on the protesters, almost stabbing one. The man was instantly subdued by the crowd and beaten up as they dragged him around the square before taking him to the makeshift clinic outside the KFC. By 2 AM, everyone had settled back into their positions; a group of young Egyptians playing the guitar and singing childhood songs occupied a few tents just in front of the monstrous monument to Egyptian bureaucracy known as the Mugamaa. Many of those that had been injured during the revolution had set up their tents in that same area. Each member of that tent carried the visible signs of police brutality. The men and women surrounding the tent treated them with respect and they were very welcoming to all those who would hear their story. “It is the duty of a foreign correspondent to be neutral and unbiased on the side of those who suffer, whoever they may be,” Robert Fisk once said. “There is a misconception that journalists can be objective … What journalism is really about is to monitor power and the centers of power.” It sure seemed that in this case, the people were in power. The first reports that came in about a possible hostile takeover of Tahrir by the police came at 10 AM on Saturday morning, when some of the Egyptians from the previous night stormed the tents telling people to get ready. And so it began. At first there were only a handful of traffic police directing traffic while a few police officers stood around, business as usual. Most protesters had already woken and were on alert, but not seeking confrontation. Out of nowhere, six or seven police trucks came rushing down the street on the Corniche from the museum side of Tahrir. They parked their massive black trucks on the side of the square, and within three minutes were fully mobilized and had the square surrounded. Much to the horror of the protesters, the police had also brought in troops from all sides of Tahrir Square and blocking any route of escape. As the crowd of riot police stormed the encampment, they tore down the tents and forced everyone to the floor. As the scene unfolded a few things must be noted. First, the most violent ones by far were the superior officers, distinguishable by the stripes and stars they carry on their shoulders. One such officer approached an Egyptian activist and without saying a word, knocked him to the ground. The officer brought his face mere inches away from the activist and began humiliating him – I later learned he was demanding the activist call him his ‘daddy'. His belongings were upturned and he was slapped repeatedly. Then the plainclothes people from the night before reappeared in the square with the weapons the activists had dropped once the police showed. These people, in front of the police, approached the young activist and threatened him with the stick, waving it in his face. “It is the duty of a foreign correspondent to be neutral and unbiased on the side of those who suffer whoever they may be.” Tents were being torn down left, right and center. Crowds were beaten into humiliation and forcibly removed from the area. SCAF officers showed up and joined the police. People in the subways were being beaten. Journalists were being arrested and unconfirmed reports have come in saying someone may have been killed, or at least seriously wounded. “It is the duty of a foreign correspondent to be neutral and unbiased on the side of those who suffer whoever they may be.” The army and the people were never one hand is the most powerful message that this event has made clear. And yet the lines are blurred. Who were those people who charged the square at night? “The callout gets made that certain individuals will reward anyone that successfully breaks out such protests,” one protester told Bikyamasr.com during the night. “And so they show, unorganized and at different times hoping to profit from the situation.” A murmur of disapproval is heard throughout the small group, it is obviously not a pleasant thought. During my own personal scuffle with the forces present, the commanding officer was forceful, grabbing my neck forcing me to kneel. He proceeded to check my passport, opening a page with nothing on it, nodding and throwing it in front of me. Everyone present was forbidden to stand, and he left. As everyone packed their belongings within arm's reach, an apologetic police officer picked up a few bottle of water which fell out of the tent as they dragged the mangled heap away and gave it to us. His appearance was stern, but his gesture and eyes were apologetic and understanding. “It is the duty of a foreign correspondent to be neutral and unbiased on the side of those who suffer whoever they may be.” So where does the movement go from here? Fears are being uttered on the streets of Tahrir; fears of full military control and no elections. The victims of this incident are all the Egyptians which do not benefit from military ties. One thing is for sure, the revolution is not over. BM
