We did it !!!

I met with Alaa, Nora, Mona el Tahawy and Ben from the PBS yesterday at el Tahrir so that we can go together to the Shubra protest . Since Dawaran Shubra , is very near to Rud el Farag metro station, we took the metro.

We arrive 6:00 p.m sharp, go out of the station and go left and Whoops!!

Are we at the right place?? or what? where is el Amn el Markazy?? not one car? not an officer or even a 3askary? did we arrive early? but they usually have the place crawling with police from the dawn of the demonstration day? what are they up to?

After some time we get used to the situation, people were standing on the intersection of the two streets, holding banners and chanting, almost blocking the traffic (the poor traffic guys couldnt handle us)

On the middle pavement, people start to gather and watch

Passer-bys start to stop at our side, watch and discuss this new scene

then the gathering on the middle pavements turns to a pro-mubarak protest, chanting their usual slogans but without any banners..and attracting the media

We stayed like this for 20 minutes or so, then they said why don't we do a real protest and march?

I think the moment we just try to cross the street, they will come, the police will come with all its force and we'll be done for.

Another Whoops!!!

We did it, we marched a long segment of Shubra st., blocking the street but for the occasional bus or car (which probably the traffic police opens a way for it in order to make a separation between us and the pro-mubarak protest). The police didnt show at all, many of the Shubra citizens joined us in the march and many stood by to watch.

The march started with few ppl crossing the street, the others were hesitant at first, that people were separated..and I started it to get worried

The rest caught up with us, and we marched peacefully, even though the pro-mubarak protest marched parallel to us

people watched us in the street and from the balconies, and many joined the march

Though we waited a long time for this moment, but we weren't prepared at all. We really didn't believe it, we were confused, sometimes we walk quickly and get separated, the chants were only about mubarak, we should be prepared with slogans about the problems suffer (prices, unemployment, etc.), the papers that were distributed were very few, many were asking about how they can get a copy or one of the stickers, etc.

It was very big

We decided to stop after one hour and return back where we started. Before leaving the protest scene, many people surrounded us and started to ask questions and discuss politics..it was good..we should think of a way to have more of these discussions, and be ready with papers with our demands.

• more photos
• photos by Nora
• photos by Arabist
• great by El Wa3ey El Masry