The 17th Day of Protest – Maybe the Last

The demonstration continues in its 17^th day.

Sunshine or rain, nothing seems to debilitate the demonstrators’ enthusiasm and persistence in their demand for the resignation of President Muburak.

It is raining today in Cairo, but this did not prevent a massive demonstration from forming in the famed Tahrir square. The protestor’s number again exceeds one million. They are gathering in the square to prepare for tomorrow’s march “Friday- the Day of Challenge.”

They are calling for 20 million to march across Egypt.

The protest is expanding to various parts of Cairo and into many other Egyptian cities. Diverse groups have joined in the demonstration. Workers in both public and private sectors have joined the revolution today and demand an improvement in their standard of living as well as the resignation of the president.

There is recent news that the demonstrators are walking toward the presidential palace.

In anticipation of a much larger protest this evening and tomorrow; the army is deploying additional forces around the presidential palace, the Egyptian Parliament, the TV station, the telephone company as well as other government buildings.

We stop here to report an important piece of news that has just flashed on TV regarding the urgent meeting of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. Usually the Council is headed by the President of the country, however Mubarak did not chair the meeting but it was chaired by Minister of Defense M. El Tantawi. This was followed by a statement from the Council that Mubarak will submit to the request of the protestors.

Does this mean he will resign? The statements that are issued by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces are contradictory. Early interpretation of this event is that Mubarak may relinquish his authority.

According to Egyptian TV, Mubarak is expected to address the nation tonight.

No matter what happens now, we (Hani Fakhouri and Aleya Rouchdy) are ecstatic and proud of what the young generation has accomplished. Their persistence, defiance, and determination enabled them to make history. Nothing like this has ever happened in Egypt before.

We would like to impress upon the reader our sense of exaltation, joy and satisfaction.

This post is a collaboration between Hani Fakhouri and Aleya Rouchdy.