CAIRO - It was the first time for Nermeen Nashaat to visit Tahrir Square. She'd never been there before, not even during last year's revolution. She asked her mother to go with her to Tahrir, so they could soak up the atmosphere; they were too afraid to go there during the January 25th Revolution. She was able to experience for herself the same atmosphere; protesters were holding up banners, vendors were displaying their goods and ambulances were standing by in case of any emergency. "I've come here to protest with the other demonstrators against the presidential decree," said Nermeen, a 17-year-old schoolgirl. "I wanted to see the demonstrations live, instead of just watching them on the TV." The protests were the biggest and most violent since Morsi became President. Almost two years after the revolution, the protesters were back again in Tahrir and many other squares around the country, to express their opposition to a presidential decree that grants Morsi's decisions immunity and gives him total constitutional power. "This constitutional decree is not acceptable; if it cannot be negotiated, it must be cancelled," said Magda Mohamed, Nermeen's mother. Magda, who was worried about the insecurity during the revolution, said that she went to Tahrir this time because she thinks there could be a second revolution if Morsi refuses to cancel the decree. "We [everyone in Tahrir] are against this decree," she nervously told the Egyptian Mail. Tahrir Square has been known, since the revolution, as its epicentre, the symbol of the opposition to the regime's decisions and the regime itself. Today, there is Tahrir and Nahda Square in the vicinity of Cairo University, the latter being the gathering point for Morsi's supporters. On January 25, 2011, protesters from different socioeconomic and religious backgrounds demanded the overthrow of the old regime and the ousting of then president Hosni Mubarak. Most of the Egyptians were united, agreeing on the same demands. There were no divisions; they all went to Tahrir to achieve the same goal. "During the revolution, everyone was patriotic. We never gave up until our demands were met and we overthrew the old regime," said Wafaa Hosni, a school secretary. "Tahrir Square was the symbol of unity; it united all the political currents, the revolutionaries and the Muslim Brothers," she added with tears in her eyes, remembering the good days. Unfortunately, there is now a big division between Egyptians who support the constitutional decree and those who oppose it. Wafaa protested in Tahrir Square early last year, demanding Mubarak's ousting. She has now been protesting in Tahrir since November 23, 2012 demanding the cancellation of the constitutional decree. "I'm really sad to see the Egyptians divided like this after being so united," Wafaa said. "Tahrir has become a symbol for just a few categories of society, but not all of them, unlike in 2011," she added sadly. Last week, thousands of opponents of the Islamist President clashed with his supporters in many cities around the country and torched several Muslim Brotherhood branch offices. They say that their problem is with the Brotherhood, not only Morsi. His opponents argue that the decree will make Morsi a dictator, Egypt's Pharaoh, because he has given himself the right to take any decision without any authority being able to oppose him ��" not even the judiciary. Meanwhile, Morsi's supporters say that he respects the judiciary and is working hard to improve his country at this crucial time. Muslim Brothers told the protesters in Tahrir that more people support the decree than oppose it. "It seems that the nation is divided not just for and against the constitutional decree, but also for and against the Muslim Brotherhood. The divided opinions over the Brotherhood have come to the fore in the past few weeks. "I feel that it has become a war between two sides, with each side trying to prove it has more supporters than the other. They are also trying to create a geographical division ��" Tahrir for the opposition, Cairo University for the Muslim Brothers and their supporters," Wafaa added sadly. The Muslim Brothers were planning to protest last Saturday in Tahrir, but, after calls from several political currents not to protest in the same place as their opponents, they changed their minds and protested outside Cairo University, in Moustafa Mahmoud Square in el-Mohandiseen and in several other squares around the country. Morsi told Egyptian State TV on Thursday that his declaration is needed by the country in this transitional phase. He said that there is no harm in people opposing the decree, adding that in fact this is positive, as long as the country's institutions are not harmed. Morsi stressed that he is happy that the Egyptians have reached the stage when they can express their opinions freely. "When I saw his interview on TV, I decided to protest in Tahrir, demanding the cancellation of the decree, because I don't think Morsi is a democratic president who really listens to the nation. “He is adamant about this decision, which means that he is a dictator," said Heba Ahmed, a teacher. Heba, who participated in the January Revolution, added that, for the first time, protesters in Tahrir Square feel that the nation is not united on one demand. "Tahrir Square was the place where the Egyptians gathered to achieve their demands, but now those who gather there are opposed to another group," she added sadly. I also hope that Tahrir will always be the place for people to oppose the regime, if and when they deem it right to do so."
