CAIRO: A tent-city remains in Egypt's iconic Tahrir Square. Calls for full civilian rule are heard on almost every corner as Egyptian activists continue their demonstration, despite the election of a new president and the apparent transition of power to civilians. But tension and worries remain, with a number of the activists voicing their concern that behind the scenes the military's Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), which ruled the country from February 11, 2011 until Saturday, continues to pull the strings for Egypt's future. “I am a supporter of Dr. Morsi and the revolution,” began Gamal Mansour. “But we still have a lot of work to do and we must make sure that Egypt goes forward and not backwards,” he told Bikyamasr.com. For others who remain in the square, the sit-in is part of their hope for the new president. They want to see political prisoners released, a change in the Cabinet and an effort to boost the country's bumbling economic situation that has seen fuel shortages and price hikes in recent months. “The country is not going too well right now,” argued Mohamed Habashi, a 22-year-old recent university graduate, who said he can't find a job in graphic design and has resorted to working part-time as a waiter at a cafe in the Giza area of Mohandiseen. Habashi, like many of the youth in the square who have set up shop, are struggling to find work in the new Egypt. They say that few companies are hiring and what work they find is not in their field of study. “I know a number of people down here who have so much hope for the country, but we just can't find a good job, and we blame the military and the elite for this trouble,” he added. Still, they waive flags and let off fireworks nightly, attempting to show President Morsi that they have faith in his term and believe that the country can get back on the right track. “This is why we are here. Not to create tension or anger, but to show Morsi and the military that we are ready to fight for a better Egypt,” said Mansour. The thousands who remain in Tahrir, and those who come in the evenings to celebrate and voice their demands for the future, have in many ways retained the spirit of the revolution. The language is more inclusive than the past months of violent clashes in downtown Cairo and they believe that the revolution began on January 25, 2011 is continuing. “We are all Egyptians, like President Morsi said, so we have to work together. This is what this sit-in is about, getting Egypt back to the way we want it, full of hope and optimism,” Mahmoud Abdullah, an American University in Cairo (AUC) graduate who has joined others in pushing for equality. “Egypt is a great country and we have to have all Egyptians working together. I think this shows that we can,” he added, pointing to the bearded, conservatives to one side and the clean-cut liberal youth on the other. “Egypt is a country with a future, we just have to make it happen. And together,” he continued.
