Copyright © 2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014,2015,2016,2017,2018,2019,2020 Hani Fakhouri, All Rights Reserved

Feb 2, 2011

An eyewitness Report from Al-Tahrir Square today and the last few days:

This is an Un-Edited account of the events in Tahrir Square.

It was noon at Tahrir Square, the number of demonstrators was much less than yesterday where around two million turned in to chant “people want the end of this regime” and many others against the president Hosni Mubarak, his family and the ruling party.

Later a Pro Mubarak demonstration started to approach closing in towards Tahrir Square, the anti Mubarak moved in and for a while they were face to face each chanting louder while the Army pulled to the side and watched.

It did not get long for the anti Mubarak demonstrators who have been in Tahrir square since Friday of Anger. They have been organized in a way that they did not respond to any intimidation by many who tried to infiltrate them for the past few days. But when the Pro Mubarak were forced to withdraw towards the Egyptian Museum side of Tahrir they started throwing stones and metal objects. The anti Mubarak kept their calm and tried to control their anger but without showing any fear . Minutes later news of the internet connection being restored after almost a week of isolation from the whole world. Blackberries and SMS were also cut off by the Egyptian regime; now this has helped the demonstrators to use their mobile phones to call on all of the ones who were in Tahrir yesterday to join them so as to overcome the thugs sent by the regime.

It was clear that those pro Mubarak were there to instigate clashes and violence, so more and more the anti Mubarak created human barriers to separate the two groups and make it difficult for them to attack the women, children, and men who have been coming to Tahrir everyday in families to express their views freely against the regime that made them poor, unemployed, disparate and even lost their dignity.

The pro Mubarak continued provocations and trying to infiltrate the anti Mubarak and pro democracy demonstrators who caught them one after another and took them to the army officers standing at the entrances of Tahrir. Each one caught was found with an identification card of the police or those with the ministry of interior.

Soon pro Mubarak moved in on horses and camels using sticks and stones to hit the pro democracy with much hate and anger. One woman who lives in a flat overlooking Tahrir said that she saw many of the Pro Mubarak demonstrators changing into civilian cloths before joining the others to attack the pro Democracy and anti Mubarak camp. She also testified that a policeman she knows told her he was asked or forced to join the others “thugs” in Tahrir to beat up “those who hate Mubarak.”

Hours later others of those pro Mubarak started moving from other entrances to Tahrir in an attempt to surround the anti Mubarak and Pro Democracy peaceful demonstrators. On the entrance close to Semiramis Hotel a lady stood by and started shouting at those leaving the demonstration by saying “traitors …traitors “ next to her a group of young men shouting “ Baradai is a US agent ..” and continuing “you are not welcomed we want Mubarak.”

It was clear that the army had taken a decision to stand by and watch though the anti Mubarak demonstrators have been working in close coordination and cooperating with the army forces deployed around Tahrir. The pro Mubarak demonstrators escalated their attacks form roofs of buildings over looking Tahrir. They used stones, sharp objects in addition to tear gas and what few demonstrators described as chemical or acid bombs!!!!

It was very clear that the whole event was orchestrated by the Mubarak regime as a last resort to scare people and keep them away from Tahrir square.

The Egyptian people were until yesterday demonstrating and expressing their views in a very peaceful manner it is their right as indicated in the Human Rights Charter (freedom of expression and freedom of assembly) yet this could not be tolerated by the regime particularly after the huge turn out of yesterday. Until yesterday Egyptians felt that this is their revolution and they don’t need any foreign power to assist, but of course the support of people not governments from all over the world is needed to help put an end to an era of corruption and terror by the Mubarak regime.


Author Unknown.

See Video


Relevant Links:

8th Day of Protest : The Million Man March

7 Days of Uprising

Egyptian Protester's Defiance

Egypt's Day of Anger

Tunis in the News

Recent Tunisian Uprising

Yemen Political and Social Unrest

High Unemployment a Ticking Time bomb in the Arab World

Recent Elections in Egypt and Jordan

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