CAIRO - Noura Galal is not paranoid but she learnt years ago to avoid crowds, whenever possible. She knows that crowds instigate many attitude problems, like sexual harassment, from which she has suffered a lot. Last Friday, this 25-year-old woman dared to buck her trend and joined in a mass demonstration in Al Tahrir Square, calling for the departure of the regime and the President. To her surprise, she just felt safe. "I joined in the demonstration with my sister. We were in the middle of hundreds of thousands of men and we stayed the whole day," Noura told the Egyptian Mail in an interview. "I didn't witness a single case of harassment." Girls and women in this country have recently been speaking out loud about sexual harassment. Nevertheless, during the demonstrations taking place nationwide, this problem seems to be completely absent. With her reddish-brown hair, skinny jeans and short-sleeved blouse, Noura has every reason to fear sexual harassment, which is why she normally avoids crowds like the plague. She says she's always getting pestered, but in Al Tahrir Square it was different. "I felt protected," Noura added with a shiver in her voice. "People that I've never met before were very concerned about my security, along with all the girls and women in the square. We were a family." Since January 25, hundreds of thousands of Egyptians have been taking to the streets of this most populous Arab country demonstrating for change, reform and social justice. These demos have included Egyptians of every men, women, Muslims, Christians, old, young, poor, rich and the educated, alongside illiterate people. Apart from the political element in these demonstrations, what has struck analysts and people in Egypt and abroad is the social and ethical element. We have been witnessing the biggest crowds in Egypt's modern history. And, while social scientists warned of possible violence, sexual harassment and sabotage, the protesters have proved them wrong. "I'm more proud of being Egyptian than ever before," said Ahmed Fadaly, a 54-year-old civil servant. "Here [in the streets of downtown Cairo], there is this spirit of solidarity uniting us all together. People care for one another and there is not the slightest trace of violence. "What has attracted my attention the most is the fact that the smile is back on our faces," he added, smiling himself, while surrounded by a number of protesters in a street near Al Tahrir. Cheering, chanting, holding slogans and singing, that's how Egyptian demonstrators have been spending their time in Al Tahrir, when they're not being attacked by thugs or pro-government protesters. They share their days and nights together, inviting you to partake of their humble food, water and tea. Strolling around or in these demos (avoiding the sporadic confrontations) is like a festival, as many young activists put it. You even see some young people sweeping the square and picking up the rubbish that has accumulated over the past fortnight. Another point that has grabbed the attention of analysts is the solidarity between Muslims and Christians in the push for change. On New Year's Eve, Egypt was rocked by a deadly explosion in a church in the coastal city of Alexandria that left 23 dead and dozens more injured. "We are all in the same boat now and day after day our passion for Egypt blots out any other feelings," Akram Sameh, who recently graduated from the Faculty of Medicine and is working in a small mosque being used as a makeshift hospital in Al Tahrir, told this newspaper, while staunching a demonstrator's injury.
