CAIRO - A flag mania has gripped Cairo while Egypt has witnessed a wave of protests since January 25. To the benefit of manufacturers and young hawkers, millions of Egyptian flags have been sold on every street corner in Cairo. "I have not had experienced selling this huge number of Egyptian flags in such a way in many years," Ahmed Salem, a Cairo flag seller, said. The feverish demand pushed up the price of an Egyptian flag from LE10 to LE15 in some plush areas of the capital like Zamalek and Mohandiseen, jubilantly said Salem, who, a year ago, considered his job as a street hawker boring and monotonous. But now, because of the present events, carrying or hanging the Egyptian flag on cars or balconies is an act of patriotism, Salem remarked. "The Egyptians need flags and the more I can sell, the better. It makes me feel good to be in such a work," he added. He said that Egyptians started buying flags en masse before and after the unrest that gripped the nation on January 25. It has become a common scene to see young Egyptian girls and boys lining up enthusiastically to buy flags from street vendors as they have felt a surge of patriotism since the clashes. As a result, the small flag manufacturers in and out the downtown Cairo area have tripled their production to meet the soaring demand. The factory owners have also extended production by more than two hours a day and created more shifts to make tens of thousands of Egyptian flags. "It's a patriotic atmosphere," Salem said. "There is a different feeling among the Egyptians these days; it's more intense," he said. "The Egyptians want these flags because they make them feel good and proud of their country,” Salem said. "I am totally supporting President Hosni Mubarak and I am so excited by the thought of how well the new Government of Ahmed Shafiq will end the crisis," Ashraf al-Berri, who bought flags for a dozen friends, declared.
