Every Revolution and You are Well (كل ثورة وانت طيب)

Me and some of the guys on the roof

I spent the anniversary of the revolution where I dreamed of spending the revolution itself one year ago--atop a building on Tahrir Square. It was the prefect place to watch as tens of thousands of Egyptians thronged to the square to commemorate the protests that shook the country last January. There were many of the same chants and demands from the revolution and the protests that followed in the subsequent months--down with military rule, cleanse the judiciary and the media, retribution for the martyrs. In many ways, it felt like just another Tahrir protest which are routinely accompanied by people's personal recollections of the 18 day revolution an of which there was no shortage today.

This was the first public event since the Islamist-dominated parliament was sworn in two days ago, and the majority party reveled in its popular mandate. The Muslim Brotherhood seemed to dominate the square--its supporters arrived first instead of marching from various neighborhoods as did many other groups and its stage was the biggest and loudest--but as far as I could hear they were not demanding Islamic law but instead were making more widely-accepted demands like the transfer of power to civilians.

Chants from the square quieted down around midnight, but there are still people out there and likely will be for a while. It waits to be seen how the Muslim Brotherhood will interact with Tahrir politics now that they have parliamentary authority. It's also unclear how Tahrir will commemorate the revolution--will there be a sit-in for 18 days? And how will all the major battles that have occurred in the past year be remembered? Hopefully they will be as peaceful as today was.

The view west

The view north

After sunset--the phallus in the center is a commemorative candle

The classic shot

One Year Ago..

...I sat at home and watched in astonishment as the revolution began in Egypt. Day after day, I kept my browser windows open to a live Al Jazeera feed and my once dormant Twitter account. For two weeks, I fell asleep next to my computer and was following the action the next morning before my eyes were completely open.

I couldn't say exactly why I was so drawn to these events on the other side of the world. Having lived in Cairo for nearly a year, I had strong personal relationships with a dozen or so people still in Egypt. I also realized that I was watching history unfold. My idealism gave me the hope that this was the start of something real. And in general, it was just so exciting.

I had almost returned to Egypt a few weeks before the revolution for a job, and when the revolution started, I realized what an opportunity I had missed. For several days, I contemplated flying back in the middle of the action just to bear witness, just as most foreigners were evacuating. The day after I spoke with a good friend who offered me a room in her apartment, the protesters were attacked by men riding horses and camels in a scene lifted from medieval times. I took it as a sign and definitively accepted that return was not an option at that moment.

Now, a year later, I'm back in Cairo. And while the mood cannot possibly be compared to that of a year ago, I'm glad to be here today as I have been for the past eight months. Egypt is changing in ways big and small. An Islamist-dominated parliament was sworn in yesterday. Tomorrow's marches and protests are planned, accepted and expected to be huge. It will be an emotional day for many, as they remember this time last year.

A friend--the same one who offered me a room last January--commented to me months after Mubarak left that she remembers clearly how cold it was during the revolution. Though Egypt is tropical, winter nights can be biting. Tonight is like that--plus ample rain--and I can almost transport myself to a similar night twelve months ago when thousands of brave Egyptians made up their minds to go down to the square.

I walked around Tahrir earlier tonight. It's bustling, as some people set up three large stages (Muslim Brotherhood, Salafist Nour, Revolutionary Youth Coalition), others sold food and revolution trinkets, and many talked and watched and walked. Marches are planned from all over Cairo to convene in Tahrir around midday. Other marches and protest celebrations are planned in other cities around the country. The spirit is celebratory, though there is a touch of regret and frustration with the unfulfilled demands of the revolution. An activist interviewed on television tonight said something to the effect of, we're celebrating the continuing of the revolution. I found that a bit illogical, but it actually seems to be a quite accurate characterization. There is much to celebrate and much to fight for still.

As I fall asleep at 4am, I can hear the chants starting already from Tahrir, some of the same chants that were heard one year ago.

Return of the Blog

After a false start a few months ago, I am renewing my commitment to use this blog as an outlet for political developments in Cairo as well as some personal reflections. A lot happened in the last quarter of 2011--parliamentary elections, numerous and violent street battles between protesters and police/army, continued military detentions of protesters and activists...I regret not writing more about all these things and I'm not going to make that mistake again.

Check back here often--weekly--for updates. My first post will be coming up after my return to Cairo from an extended winter break and will focus on whatever ends up happening on the one year anniversary of the Jan25 revolution. And later in the spring, I'll be conducting a series of interviews with Egyptians on their thoughts one year later and their reactions to the developing situation. I also hope to integrate photography and video into the blog when possible. Stay tuned!