" I am so glad that I was born in these times to be part of this revolution. Such an event happens in the world every thousand years" said Abd El Magid a tall young man in his late twenties. He had a bright smile and a calm countenance. He was standing, along with a huge crowd of Egyptians, at the entrance of Kasr Al-Nil Bridge in a mile long barely moving queue for more than two hours trying to get into Tahrir Square. The bridge was blocked by two tanks. The queue advanced very slowly, as two soldiers went on checking people's IDs and bags to make sure that no one would smuggle any sort of weapons inside. Despite the fogy cold weather and the rain everybody stood fast in the line determined to join the Tahrir protesters in their demands for the removal of the Egyptian president and his regime. From time to time the crowd erupted in chants to express their determination". It does not matter if we are inside or outside we are here to stay" said the words of a chant. Another chant celebrated the unity between the army and the people.
"These types of tricks and obstacles make us more determined than ever", Abd El Magid added with his same bright smile and serene posture another man joined the discussion "yesterday I saw a little child carrying a banner with words saying that the people who make only half a revolution are digging their own grave with their bare hands". He went further to explain that he was not joining the protests because of economic concerns, he is an executive director, he has health insurance and could afford to pay twenty five thousand pounds a semester for his son's school fees, " I am here because my son deserves a better future, and a better country".
At a distance in the middle part of the bridge a small group of pro -Mubarak protesters stood with different " yes to Mubarak" banners, they engaged into heated discussions with the lined crowds, at one point two people from the opposing camps engaged in a fist fight. Immediately the crowd started chanting " selmiah, selmiah", which means peaceful protests, and the fight stopped. "I am not amazed that there are people who do not join the demonstrations, they are like the birds in a cage when one opens the door only one or two immediately fly, the other five stay,they are either too afraid to leave, or they wait to see what will happen next" said a bystander as he watched attentively the small aloof crowd.
" The bureaucracy mind of the current regime is still at work , can't you see that we are all standing in line to join a demonstration", exclaimed a lady in the crowd. " it is a line that I am proud to be in", retorted another man. I turned my eyes to find that the speaker was Mamoun Fandi, the Egyptian-born American scholar and long-time writer in Middle Eastern media. Fandi went on to say that he used to be ashamed of his Egyptian descent," in the eyes of the free world we were a population of slaves, but not any more". He stood there patiently dressed in a white shirt and a dark suite with the Egyptian flag tucked in his left pocket." We used to stand in bread queues, today I am here to demand my freedom and my humanity, this is one queue that I am willing to stand in for ever." replied another man in the line.
Finally, by sunset time, we were able to cross the second blockade to get into the square. we delved in the place surrounded by a group of cheerleaders clapping their hands and chanting enthusiastically" welcome welcome to the revolution, the rebels are increasing, the revolution is growing stronger" followed by " these are the true Egyptians , these are the true champs" and many other very cheerful and inspiring songs. " this is a priceless moment" said one of my companions noting the ingenuity of the organizers of the protests. As soon as we settled in at one corner of the square, many young people approached us with a variety of offers, from candy to hot tea and sandwiches, it was as if the square was their home and they felt obliged to host their guests.
Despite the stalling and the obstacles The square was heaving with people and a wide variety of activities. Crowds engaged mostly in cheerful chants. Others, prepared their tents and laid down their blankets to get ready for the night, different graffiti artists went on decorating the asphalt with various art works and sketches. Peddlers and street vendors roamed the place with their goods, ranging from peanuts, dates, pastry to the popular Egyptian Koshary food " I am here to make a living, I do not care about either sides, the youth made a great job but perhaps it is time for them to go home" said one vendor whose merchandise was flags and badges. Nearby An old man in a galabiya ( Egyptian traditional dress) stood on the side with a banner saying " do not let them steal your revolution", few meters away stood a young man with a banner that said " Mubarak just leave now, I miss my wife I got married twenty days ago and would like to go home, but will not leave the place until you do". We approached him he smiled," this is true, I was married on January fourteenth and I really want to go home." Suddenly,some crowds of people ran in different directions , and confusion was allover the place. " the army is moving their tanks to clear the square" shouted a young man as he swiftly moved towards the museum entrance direction. We followed him to find the crowds standing in front of the Tanks chanting strongly " we will not leave until he leaves" followed by " down down Hosny Mubarak". Then, they lined up in rows and started praying. "These people will keep coming back to the square for ever, no matter what, Mubarak is leaving, this is beyond logic or power it is the awakening of a nation", my cousin said.
Today I did not join the protesters, not yet since I will be going latter in the day. I had to go to work. Most of my colleagues have not been to the demonstrations. They all felt that already a lot has been achieved, especially with the arrest of some big names and the expelling of the president's son and his longtime trusted adviser Safwat Al Sharif from the Watani party. But they did not think that the protests can make any more changes. They all had a cheerful mood with lots of anecdotes and stories about what is happening in the Tahrir square. However, they were all hesitant and worried. Their own network of relations which used to facilitate their different transactions, work, and life was now gradually falling apart. After a lengthy discussion of what can be done to face up to the current situation my boss posed and said " Freedom has a price that we will all have to pay, personally I do not mind, but it will take some time for all of us to restructure our lives, chaos is part of this process of restructuring I guess".
Unlike many who express worry about the future, I am and I have always been an optimist. People speak of the protesters gathered in Tahrir Square in central Cairo as "an embodiment of Egypt's pride". Popular Egyptian writer Mohamed Hassanein Heikal described them saying "they are the noblest and most beautiful the country has borne." He totally missed the point. This is not about a generation of youth as much as it is about an ancient civilization that is being born again. Whether the protests continue or fall short from out setting Mubarak and his regime. The event, the people, their hopes and aspirations their ardent determination to preserve the purity of the uprising, being peaceful and noble. It is a heroic legend in the making that will from now on continue to inspire and empower the Egyptians with a whole system of values that goes beyond the shallow interpretations of ideologies and religions. These are values in action, it is a concrete process, an amazing process that happens every thousand years I guess.
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