Protesters unite to demand downfall of Egypt military rule

Cairo: On January 25, Egypt woke to an unforgettable sight.

Marches at Tahrir Square, Cairo, were organised from all directions with each group carrying the name of someone who died protesting. It didn’t matter if that person was Christian or Muslim — no one cared to ask, because to the protesters they were all Egyptian.
 
Instead of celebrating the one year anniversary of the revolution, the protesters — who halfway through the day hit the two million mark — demanded in unison the downfall of military rule.

The atmosphere in Tahrir was buoyant.

Every now and then, protesters would stop to take pictures of each other, carrying innovative signs that summed up what they had to say about SCAF or the parliament.

In Tahrir, protesters living abroad were able to meet other protesters who happened to live in Egypt for years, for the first time.

As they filled into the Square, each group headed toward a stage that represented them.
The banner which hung from the youth’s stage was called ‘Askar Katheboon’, which translates to: ‘The Supreme Council of Armed Forces lies’.

On the stage was Mazhar Shaheen, better known as the revolution’s imam and the imam of Omar Makram Mosque where one of the biggest field hospitals is located. He asked if the crowd was tired of the fight. The response was an immediate and resounding “no”.

He then had the crowd vow to continue the fight, until the people of Egypt were “finally victorious, no matter the cost”.

Next came Fawzy Waheeb Nasrallah, a priest and representative of Qasr Al Dobarah Church, which also houses a large field hospital. As the popular and well-respected priest approached centrestage, it became apparent to the protesters that he was holding a picture of one of the revolution’s slain protesters, Emad Effat, a scholar of Al Azhar University, in a gesture of solidarity, and respect.

Effat was killed at the age of 52 with a gunshot to his heart.

Along with Shaheen, Nasrallah called on Muslim-Christian unity.