It was one year ago I was one of many who sat glued to the internet watching the birth of a revolution which grew worldwide. Yes, it was first in Tunisia where the people gathered in in the streets in protest. The events began in December 2010 and led to the ousting of longtime President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January 2011 eventually leading to a thorough democratization of the country and to free and democratic elections.
However, it was on January 25, 2011, that the world woke up when the people of Egypt gathered together and formed a revolution against Mubarak. Protesters flooded Cairo’s main squares and Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, and Flickr flooded the internet with updates. Supporters of Egypt’s protesters around the world spread information in updates so rapid and numerous that the collective coverage could probably be classified as viral.
At least 120 people were injured after Egyptian security forces fired tear gas and rubber coated steel bullets at pro-Palestinian protesters who were trying to storm the Israeli embassy in Cairo.
Thousands of protesters had massed outside of the embassy in the capital on Sunday to commemorate the 63rd anniversary of the “Nakba” or “catastrophe” – the day Israel declared its independence and hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were expelled from their homes.
Witnesses said a group of demonstrators later tried to storm the entrance of the embassy. Police used rubber coated steel bullets and tear gas to disperse the crowd. At least 20 people were arrested.
Al Jazeera’s Rob Gilles, who was at the scene, said that some protesters responded by burning tires in the middle of the road and throwing stones.
“The security forces have made a charge outside the embassy to clear the street in front of it and most of the protesters are being forced back,” he said.
‘Determined protesters’
“They’ve sealed off the main area into it but there is still a determined presence here, they are determined not to move, spurred on by the images they’ve seen of the Nakba protests in other parts of the Middle East.
“We’ve seen a few people laid out on the floor mainly suffering from gas inhalation more than anything else.”
Activists had earlier called for marches to start on Sunday to reach the Rafah border crossing between Israel and Egypt.
The incident followed the visit to Egypt by a senior Israeli defence ministry official – the first trip by a top Israeli official since a popular uprising toppled former president Hosni Mubarak in February.
Amos Gilad was to hold talks with several Egyptian officials “to discuss the latest developments in the region, in light of the Palestinian reconciliation agreement”, MENA, Egypt’s state news agency reported on Sunday.
Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal ended a four-year feud at a reconciliation ceremony in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, earlier this month, which Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu termed “a tremendous blow to peace”.
The long-awaited accord, inked by the two rivals among 13 factions, aims to put a stop to the animosity which has split the Palestinian territories into opposing camps since 2007.
The agreement envisages Hamas and Fatah working to put together an interim government of candidates who are unaffiliated with either faction, who would govern until presidential and legislative elections within a year.
Mobs set two churches on fire in western Cairo on Sunday (May 8) as clashes broke out between Muslims and Christians, killing up to 12 people and injuring more than 200.
“I really believe the revolution has changed us. People are acting differently towards each other.” These are the words of Ms Kamel, 50, one of the many women who were out on Tahrir Square, who actively participated in the revolution.
Women were out in force during the popular uprisings that toppled Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, but their future in post-revolutionary Egypt is not so certain.
Women’s rights activist Engy Ghozlan says that what happened on International Women’s Day shows that the revolution has not changed any of Egypt’s social problems.
“We were faced by abusive men making fun of our demands, saying that a woman should never run for president,” she said.
Even if many men haven’t yet changed their attitude towards women since the revolution, journalist Shaimaa Abul Kheir believes women’s self worth has increased.
“As a result of taking part in the revolution, Egyptian women now see themselves as equal to men and have the confidence to demand their rights. We’ve proved that we can organise and effect change and the challenge for us and all Egyptians is to make sure extremists don’t take control.”
This video is dedicated to the Women who stood their ground, and to the children by their side who believed….
It was one year ago I was one of many who sat glued to the internet watching the birth of a revolution which grew worldwide. Yes, it was first in Tunisia where the people gathered in in the streets in protest. The events began in December 2010 and led to the ousting of longtime President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January 2011 eventually leading to a thorough democratization of the country and to free and democratic elections.
