Protests Erupt in Tahrir Square (NEWS BRIEF)

A group of protesters making their way towards Tahrir Square PHOTO: Nejeed Kassam

By Alesha Porisky and Nejeed Kassam Tahrir Square, Cairo, Egypt

For the past three days, according to local residents, there have been small demonstrations and marches in the late evenings in and around Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt.

Wednesday evening, however, the protest grew significantly in size and scope, described by a hotel worker as “chaos in the streets.” While this may be an exaggeration, there is definitely life to the protest; what was maybe one hundred for the past few nights has grown to a lot more, maybe over a thousand, but it’s hard to estimate exact numbers.

From Tahrir Square, the birthplace of Egypt’s January 25^th Revolution, drums could be heard beating and there were people marching and chanting. Just a few hours before, life was as it always is in Cairo and after-work traffic was normal: bumper-to-bumper. But the street came alive with protesters as the evening unfolded. What started, around 10.30pm, as a small march, had grown.

By 11:00pm, there was tear gas pouring through the street by Tahrir Square, which did little to silence protesters, many of whom continued their chants with fervour.  While people buried their faces in sleeves and tissues, workers at nearby restaurants quickly pulled down their riot barriers and retreated inside with their customers.

There seemed to be conflicting reasons as to the reason for the protest.

One source, a worker at Pizza Hut in Tahrir Square, said that the march was a response to an event that happened this morning. He alleged that yesterday, a number of women, especially the mothers of those who died in the Revolution, marched around Tahrir, as a way to remember those who lost their lives. Apparently, some of these women were attacked. Wednesday evening’s protests were, according to him, a response to these beatings.

However, an employee of a local hotel in the Square cited a different reason: the postponement of the investigation into Habib al-Adly, the former Minster of the Interior.  The announcement was made June 26, to the obvious displeasure of hundreds of demonstrators in Cairo.  No reason was given for the trial’s delay.