Sunday 25 September 2011

McDonald's and Revolution Street Art

On a wall near a Downtown street Cafe on 24 September 2011

Take a closer look and you'll notice the aircraft at the end of the arches. 
SCAF is the acronym for the Supreme Council of Armed Forces

Thursday 22 September 2011

Panda near the AUC





Artist unknown. Photo taken on 12 August 2011, on a wall near the American University in Cairo  (AUC)


I first discovered Panda in Tahrir on one of the walls of the Mogama3. Smitten by Panda and following a few more sightings, I decided to make it my mission to locate Panda around the city. 

If you have seen Panda, please post a comment with a location, so that I can take more pictures and document its whereabouts around Cairo. Thank you.

Wednesday 21 September 2011

Voices speak out for Freedom


"We the people are the thin red line,
We the people are the thin red line,
We are not afraid,
We are not afraid,
We hate the silent voice,
We hate the silent voice,
We are not afraid,
We are not afraid,
We hate the silent voice"







A Peaceful march was held from Tahrir to the Cabient of Ministers on Sep 19, 2011. 
The sign held by crowd reads: No to Emergency, No to Military Trials, No to Law Criminalising Strikes

Tuesday 20 September 2011

No Comment


Democracy is the Assertion of Sovereignty by the People

Outside the Cabinet during Tahrir March on 19th Sep 2011 

Saturday 17 September 2011

To those who dare to dream

This song is dedicated to those who dare to dream. Long live Jan 25.
The crowd sings: Bread, Freedom, Social Justice!
Man: Thank you. Thank you youths!
Crowd: Thank you. Thank you youths!



Tahrir Sep 16 2011

Friday 16 September 2011

Can Egyptians unite to save their own Revolution?

A couple of days before the last millionia (a million protest) took place, I was feeling pessimistic.

With groups popularly known as: We're Sorry Mr. President and the Children of Mubarak taking a confident stand, talk of an ominous counter revolution, a violent clash between Ultra football fans and the police during a match and what seemed to me like more of a shift in public opinion against ever more protesting in Tahrir, it seemed to me that more Egyptians were turning against their own revolution.

A decision by the Supreme Council for Armed Forces (SCAF) that week, banning new satellite licenses and the tightening rules around protesting didn't help. For the first time, I was sceptical that the protest day in Tahrir would really make a difference.

But against all odds, Sep 9 occurred and suddenly hope reappeared on the horizon. It was a day organisers called the day of "Correcting the Path" of the revolution. I interpreted that as a protest to reinvigorate the revolution's aims.

I was away that weekend, but the impression I got from televised interviews was that Tahrir was peaceful. I felt optimistic again.

It was a day I think, that could have swayed some of the doubters back in favour of the revolution. But far from that, it was regrettably a day that ended with a dark cloud over the revolution.

The attack on the Israeli embassy much later that day, successfully derailed the revolution. Whatever the motivation behind the attack, I disagreed with it. Beyond that, the revolution suffered a major setback. The emergency law was reactivated, and a further enquiry into existing satellite channels in Egypt, suggested a further tightening grip on freedom, one of the revolution's main pillars.

People later claimed the attack was a plot to destabilise the revolution. Thanks to the actions of a minority, the majority would have to suffer the consequences.

If the attack on the embassy achieved one thing, it was that it successfully drew attention away from the revolution's aims. Meanwhile more anti-revolution voices could be heard, casting a dark shadow over it.

While all this was going on, I kept wondering and what about the revolution's demands? What about "Bread, Freedom and Social Justice?" And more importantly, would Egyptians find a united way back to save the revolution?