The end for Egypt’s military junta

Protesters taking down the wall on Mohamed Mahmoud street.

CAIRO: Don’t mess with football fans. Ever. Egypt’s military junta is learning this right now. As thousands took to the streets in downtown Cairo to demand justice for the 75 people killed on Wednesday night in Port Said following a football match between Egyptian giants al-Ahly and al-Masry, police unleashed the latest tear gas barrage on protesters. It won’t stop their determination.

Throughout the evening, as we stood and watched as the events unfolding reminded us of the clashes that took place in November, on almost the exact street, it became clear that this was not a simple protest. Certainly, it was full of anger over the events on Wednesday, when the security forces allowed, watched and stood by, as scores of Egyptians were slaughtered in public view. But, Thursday’s protests were not about football. It was about the continued lack of transparency that allowed people to again die in the country. 373 days on from January 25, 2011, and Egyptians were again in revolution mode. This time it could be the beginning of the end.

“We aren’t going anywhere,” one protester, clad in his Ahly flag, his eyes red from tear gas, told Bikyamasr.com on Thursday night.

Into the evening, the sounds of tear gas being fired into the crowds could be heard blocks away. Downtown Cairo had turned into a war zone yet again.

The military’s leadership must be on edge. Think of it this way; 75 people were killed on Wednesday. Those young people came from across Egypt, from different villages and are part of arguably the largest organization of supporters in the country. For every one person who was killed, dozens are taking to the streets to demand justice for their loved one, and the end of the military junta’s grip on Egypt.

The endgame is simple. There is no more justification that the military can do to maintain its unquestioning power over the country. These football “fans” are the next evolution of Egypt’s revolution. They were out in full force in November and December, taking positions at the front lines, firing fireworks to keep the police back. On Thursday, they were the majority. The military and its security apparatus can do little to stem the anger. It is over for their rule of Egypt.

It may take weeks or even months, but they are losing public support. Many local residents only a few blocks away from the ministry of interior were remarkably changed on Thursday, offering water and drinks free of charge to protesters leaving the frontlines. In November, and even December, this was not the case.

“We are supporting the protests now because the military allowed people to die,” said one shopkeeper. In many ways, the irony is lost. The military has killed over 100 people since taking power in the country on February 12, 2011, yet it was their inaction that led to what is quickly becoming a countrywide movement against the government.

Public opinion is important in Egypt, where for months the average citizen remained supporting the military. They refused to believe the country’s “honorable” armed forces would kill its own citizens. Now, slowly but surely, it is happening and finally Egyptian protesters will be able to secure the change they desired when they took to the streets in January last year.

The process won’t be easy and we will most likely have eyes burned from tear gas, bodies hit with rubber bullets, but in this latest stand for the revolution, Egypt’s activists and football fans have teamed together, united, to fight back against a year of lies, injustice and killing.

Change is coming. The military is on its way out. Thursday, February 2, 2012 should be seen as the true Revolution 2.0.

BM

Tags: Ahly, featured, Protests, SCAF, Tear-gas

Section: Editor's choice, Egypt, Op-ed