Links: January 25 Revolution, Tahrir Square, Muslim Brotherhood, April 6 Youth Movement, Hosni Mubarak CAIRO: The populist spirit that so characterized the peoples' uprising on January 25 in Egypt again returned to Tahrir Square as a security vacuum once again left the work of maintaining order to the re-emerging Peoples' Committees. The Peoples' Committees are a symbol of the popular uprising that ousted former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, many of which stepped into security roles after the Egyptian police forces retreated from their posts and left a revolting country unmanned. Such committees protected everything from private property, to buildings to even State institutions. The first political movements to create Peoples' Committees were the Muslim Brotherhood and the April 6 Youth Movement. At the beginning of the most recent Tahrir uprising, such Peoples' Committees began forming as apolitical, civil forces to secure entrances and exits in Tahrir Square and lend support to the ad hoc field hospitals erected to manage the multiplying injuries from clashes on Mohamed Mahmoud Street. The Committees also helped secure the path through Tahrir for motorcycles transporting injured demonstrators from the fierce front on Mohamed Mahmoud. At times the Committees formed human shields between protestors and CSF forces on the battleground, and prevented security forces from entering the Square or provoking more clashes. Ministry of Agriculture employee Sayed Hamdi said that he came to Tahrir Square from Bulaq Dakrur last Saturday to support the protestors, despite philosophical and political differences. “I have no political agenda other that wanting to stop the clashes,” Hamdi said, adding that he was not aware of the Committees', he simply saw others helping and joined. “I volunteered to help clear the motorcycle path,” said 27-year-old supermarket worked Mohamed Magdy. “I don't care about political life, but I want all Egyptian people to have a life with dignity and without bloodshed.” “The Committees work on a rotating system of patrols, but orders are often spontaneous and sporadic,” Magdy added, alluding to the fluid nature of the protests in Tahrir. “Our work is to secure the area for doctors and aid workers so that they can work uninterrupted and safely,” said Khaled Salem, the 38-year-old founder of the Peoples' Committee responsible for securing the road to the field hospital. “I have no desire for political power, I just want to stop the loss of life.” The first Peoples' Committee was organized on Thursday night and was tasked with securing the entrance to Tahrir from the Talaat Harb, or northern, side. “I came to Tahrir to protest the attacks against the protestors by CSF forces and regime remnants who continue to rule Egypt,” said Motaz Wagdy, a 21-year-old Peoples' Committee member. A Peoples' Committee formed spontaneously at the entrance of Mohamed Mahmoud Street, where the most brutal fighting took place. “We are here to warn people against attacking the Ministry of the Interior but also to end the attempts to incite more rash attacks,” said Karam el-Zeiny, one of the Committee volunteers. Arabic here
