Protesters gathered near the ministry of interior's offices on Lazoghli Street on 26 June, where they clashed with Central Security forces.
Tara Todras-Whitehill
By Magdy Samaan and Paul Schemm
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Protesters gathered near the ministry of interior's offices on Lazoghli Street on 26 June, where they clashed with Central Security forces. Tara Todras-Whitehill |
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In many ways it was not the typical demonstration. Activists mingled freely with ordinary citizens in a working-class neighborhood, then marched down the street chanting their message about the need for reform.
Government supporters were also there, announcing their support for the current regime but not clashing with the anti-government demonstrators. Most importantly, there was no sign of Central Security, the ubiquitous black-clad riot police that have been a fixture of demonstrations over the last five years.
Observers reported several security trucks on nearby back streets, but their occupants did not interfere with the demonstration or march.
Instead, the neighborhood of Shoubra witnessed on 22 June a political rally of around 300 people, a march down their main street, a counter-rally and finally knots of activists and citizens discussing politics.
The event was the latest organized by Youth for Change (Shebab min Agl Al Tagheer), a new movement loosely associated with Kifaya that has energized opposition activities.
With the onset of summer, demonstrations traditionally fade away. Even Kifaya leaders like Abdel Halim Qandil and George Ishaq have not been seen at a demonstration in weeks. Instead, it appears that the momentum for activism has passed to this new youth movement.
Youth for Change is now the dynamo of Kifayas popular activities, said Ahmed Bahaa Shaaban, coordinator between Kifaya and the youth movement and a student activist in the 1970s. They are part of Kifaya, they move according to its principles, but there is flexibility and independence from [Kifaya] activities.
Like the Kifaya movement, Youth for Change is calling for an end to the rule of President Hosni Mubarak and the democratization of the countrys politics.
Holding demonstrations in lower-income and working-class neighborhoods instead of just in front of the Journalists Syndicate was the result of a group brainstorming session that sought to find ways to spread the message.
Passersby at the Shoubra event had clearly never seen a demonstration directly criticizing the president. Some stood stunned, listening to the slogans before hurrying away. Others, at activists urging, joined the protest and waved banners. The decision to turn the demonstration into a march down Shoubra Street was also quite a departure from earlier events.
We are part of Kifaya, but as youth we have a different way of thinking than Kifayas older leaders and we need to work together, said Muhammed Darderi, one of the founders of the group. For instance, during the Kifaya candlelight vigil at Saad Zaghlouls tomb on 8 June, youth members took a more confrontational stance toward security than older Kifaya leaders might have wished.
The group was established in May and involves student activists and recent graduates from all political trends, though most seem to hail from the left end of the spectrumthe case with Kifaya in general.
The original group of 15 has swelled to between 150 and 200 supporters, separated into committees for culture, art, media, communications and for events in the governorates, all of which are run by a single five-person coordinating committee.
Other events organized by Youth for Change included a 15 June protest in the popular neighborhood of Sayyeda Zeinab, where members carried brooms with which to sweep away the old regime. The demonstration played on a traditional custom of combating evil spirits and bad luck by sweeping the ground outside the tomb of the popular saint Sayyeda Zeinabthe patron saint of those in dire straits.
More recently, Youth for Change joined Al Sharea Lina (The Street is Ours, a womens group) and Kifaya in a 26 June protest against torture, which took place near the Ministry of the Interior building on Lazoghli Street. The protest was timed to coincide with the International Day for Victims of Torture. Though small, the demonstration turned slightly violent as angry protesters tried to push back the Central Security forces that surrounded them.
We decided to concentrate our work on the street because we see that this is not the time for working in closed rooms, said Darderi. We have many ideas to attract young people and students not only to participate in demonstrations but also to work inside the university, and we will hold art exhibitions and plays.
As is becoming increasingly common in activist circles, the movement shows a high degree of computer literacy, as many of its members are also known bloggers. Communication and organization for demonstrations often occur through e-mails and SMS messages.
Abdel Halim Qandil, the editor of the Nasserist weekly Al Arabi and one of Kifayas founders, says that Youth for Change has zeal and is eager to work in the streets. There is confusion between the membership of Kifaya and the memberships of other movements, like the campaign for change, Qandil told Cairo. He explained that at a meeting between Kifaya and Youth for Change, we told them to either coordinate or become a separate movement. The difference between them and Kifaya is a difference of age and way of thinking. Maybe it is good for both because this will allow each group to play different roles. Qandil said that much of the Kifaya leadership had been preoccupied with a major conference in July, leaving the organization of regular protests to movements like Youth for Change.
According to Shaaban, the activities of the Youth group are reminiscent of the student movements of the late 1960s and early 1970s, when small groups managed to ignite the imagination and passions of Egypts students, resulting in the massive protests of 1968 and 1972. They are enthusiastic, lively and, more importantly, they are ready to sacrifice for their demands, he said.
The group has already had a few run-ins with security. Two members, Muhammed Shafiq and Ahmed Saad, were arrested on 15 June for distributing anti-government leaflets in the street. Member Moustafa Khalil, from Mansoura, was also arrested for putting up a Kifaya poster in his house. The group organized demonstrations in front of the attorney generals office, protesting their arrests. The activists were soon released.
Rather than see their activities taper off with the end of classes and rising temperatures, members believe that as summer goes on, the group will engage in even more events. We expect that the coming month will witness increasing numbers of youth joining us, especially after the end of exams, said member Nader Shoukry.
Copyright2005 Cairo Magazine