Egyptian revolutionaries and several political groups are calling for a million man protest on July 8th for weeks now. The call is getting more attention and more support especially from young protesters after the events of Tuesday and Wednesday. Unlike May 27 there are many provocations making people more pissed off , forcing them to head to Tahrir square once again.
I do not know what the name of this Friday but I believe it is the Poor First Friday , at lease this is what 6th April Youth movement is calling it. The poor first name came from the hit blog post “The poor first you bastards”. The poor first came during the intense debate between the constitution first or elections first and of course the constitution first team hoped to make July 8th the ultimate day for the battle. Of course it is beyond the constitution vs. elections battle as well as beyond the poor first despite my all respect and support. It is about the revolution that needs to be continued. I like what potential presidential candidate Dr. Mohamed Abu El-Fatouh said regarding this matter : It is Revolution first.
Just like any Friday million man protest , there are demands as people will not go to Tahrir and try to have a sit without demands.
Here is the list that combines all demands and lists published before :
You must know radical right wing powers from Salafists are claiming that the constitution first team is behind this Friday protest despite I believe this Friday is actually the Friday of “Bread , Freedom and social justice” , our first ever slogan if you remember it.
There is possibility that this week we will have a lot of reformist decisions will be issued from SCAF and the cabinet as it is the habit from major Friday protests. This time there is a promise for a sit in and people are extremely serious about it.
I will not be surprised to find Mubarak transferred to Cairo after all especially the minister of health stated that the former president’s health was stable and the decision was in the hand of the general prosecutor
The American embassy has warned its citizens from being at Tahrir square on July 8th , I believe this warning has to do with the fact that a British citizen and an American citizen were arrested among those arrested last Wednesday morning. Needless to say this news will be used by those opposing #July8 to spread fear. I will not surprised too if I find foreign banks withdrawing money from its ATMs not only Down town but from Cairo itself.
As long as we do not have an elected parliament , Tahrir will be our people’s assembly. Insh Allah #July8 will be our new assembly will have a meeting again.
I do not know what the name of this Friday but I believe it is the Poor First Friday , at lease this is what 6th April Youth movement is calling it. The poor first name came from the hit blog post “The poor first you bastards”. The poor first came during the intense debate between the constitution first or elections first and of course the constitution first team hoped to make July 8th the ultimate day for the battle. Of course it is beyond the constitution vs. elections battle as well as beyond the poor first despite my all respect and support. It is about the revolution that needs to be continued. I like what potential presidential candidate Dr. Mohamed Abu El-Fatouh said regarding this matter : It is Revolution first.
Just like any Friday million man protest , there are demands as people will not go to Tahrir and try to have a sit without demands.
Here is the list that combines all demands and lists published before :
- Social and economic justice : More daring economic and financial decisions as we do have really have resources.
- Fair trials for the murderers and corrupted : Real trials , real transparent trials for the Mubarak regime’s murderers and corrupted above them Mubarak himself.
- Cleaning the Ministry of interior and ministry of justice from the Mubarak’s regime orphans : Of course we know it is life or death battle for the ministry of interior.
- The freedom of media and expression : No more invitation for coffee breaks at the military prosecution.
- Unity , our people unity : No more split because of political issues like constitution and elections.
You must know radical right wing powers from Salafists are claiming that the constitution first team is behind this Friday protest despite I believe this Friday is actually the Friday of “Bread , Freedom and social justice” , our first ever slogan if you remember it.
There is possibility that this week we will have a lot of reformist decisions will be issued from SCAF and the cabinet as it is the habit from major Friday protests. This time there is a promise for a sit in and people are extremely serious about it.
I will not be surprised to find Mubarak transferred to Cairo after all especially the minister of health stated that the former president’s health was stable and the decision was in the hand of the general prosecutor
The American embassy has warned its citizens from being at Tahrir square on July 8th , I believe this warning has to do with the fact that a British citizen and an American citizen were arrested among those arrested last Wednesday morning. Needless to say this news will be used by those opposing #July8 to spread fear. I will not surprised too if I find foreign banks withdrawing money from its ATMs not only Down town but from Cairo itself.
As long as we do not have an elected parliament , Tahrir will be our people’s assembly. Insh Allah #July8 will be our new assembly will have a meeting again.
good luck!
ReplyDeleteIt is not new to have a parliament in the square; it was done in Athens 400 BC. Now in 2011 you have a country of 80 million people, massive un-employment, huge national debt and dependency on import to feed itself. Leaders, tools and resources are depleted and infested with corruption for 30 years and more.
ReplyDeleteThe young generation who fueled the revolution doesn't have a vision how to migrate from current state, gradually and painfully using the tools and resources of Mubark era, to a new society. You can demand all you want in the square till the cows come home. The leaders of Jan 25 are consumed with TIME man of the year, hosting TV programs, counting hits on blogs and websites, or receiving honorary doctorate degrees and foreign travel. The number of fragments in political front is unbelievable, and this provides a chance for infiltration and spoilers. In all street fights, it is impossible to identify who is who. Each time they feel Jan 25 is lost; the youth use hate for Mubark & his sons as a unifying factor. There will be July 8 the revolution phase 2, and two months later a déjà vu phase 3. This will be repeated until people gets board and Muarak expectation is proven: it was either his ‘stability’ or a complete chaos.
It was OK in Jan to be leaderless, now there is a desperate need for leadership with a vision.
Leadership able on forming a strategy, compromise on tactics but keep moving to achieve a change. People will unite when each one is certain they have something to lose, and this loss is irreversible.
Zeinobia, with all due respect you are very wrong. July 8 is being organized to ensure that every item on the original list of revolutionary demands is met. This list was put together on January 27 and published on February 10.
ReplyDeleteNot one of these original, central demands of the revolution has been met. Not one.
One of the first items on that list was and is a new constitution, before elections.
The Islamists (who jumped on the revolution and are opportunistically trying to exploit it) are demanding elections first -- including the Salafists, who claim that the only constitution Egypt can have is the Quran. The Salafists would never have joined an alliance with the MB if the MB had not secretly promised them that there would be no constitution that did not meet their medieval criteria, once they got control of the parliament.
Please don't accuse us of being "paranoid" and of exaggerating the strength and influence of the Islamists: true, on a level playing field they do not represent a majority or even a large minority.
But the playing field is very far from level. They are financed with the vast wealth of the Gulf and even an idiot can see how the Armed Forces Council is using its power to manipulate the political environment in their favor and against the revolution.
The remnants of the Mubarak regime and their patrons the US and Israel and the Saudis don't care how Egypt is ruled internally -- in fact, they far prefer an undemocratic regime, even an Islamist one -- as long as Egypt's economy and foreign policy remain subservient to their interests.
The MB have a long history of cutting cynical back-room deals with whoever can deliver the goods.
Those who have eyes to see and ears to hear can note that the "Security forces" and the baltageya are specifically targeting the revolutionaries and the revolution itself, including the families of the martyrs who are its symbol. They are NOT targeting the Islamists.
This tells you a lot about what we can expect to see during the parliamentary elections, unless ALL the revolution's demands are met FIRST.
There are tens of thousands of ballot centers spread throughout Egypt -- do you really believe that in the current environment, unless the security forces, the judiciary, the media and the government are purged of active agents of the Mubarak regime and a democratic constitution is firmly in place, that the revolutionaries will be able to ensure that the elections are free, fair and violence-free?
The Islamists are like a bridegroom trying to convince his fiancee that she should wait until after the wedding, and then let him write the marriage contract. "You chose me, right?" "Don't you love me?" "Don't you trust your own judgement in choosing me? Then why are you insisting on a marriage contract first?"
First you voted "yes" in the referendum, and now you're accusing those who demand a constitution FIRST of causing a "split".
Yeah, a split between the revolution and those who don't accept its principles, such as absolute equality of rights for all citizens and social/economic justice and freedom, who have proven over and over that they play dirty and that they oppose a constitution that legally guarantees these principles before any political games are "won" or "lost".
Thank God there's a split -- it proves that the Egyptians who carried out this great revolution are determined to keep it going until it realizes CONCRETE gains for ALL Egyptians. I would be more worried if there was no "split"
When this madhouse over? You not tired?
ReplyDelete"..and dependency on import to feed itself"
ReplyDeleteactually it's only wheat and meat. We produce enough legumes, veggies, pulses and fruit and even export more than 20% of agricultural produce, except of course for exotic fruits like kiwi which we have to import to keep the rich happy but by no means essential to the population. This year we will grow enough wheat to reduce import to 30% and by 2013 we will be able to produce 100% of our wheat consumption- something the Mubaraks repeatedly said it wasn't possible but we have the capability and expertise and it's happening as we speak :)
There isn't that massive employment even compared to industrialised countries but statistics are based on those who aren't registered in either public or private sectors, millions have day-by-day jobs.
That's the difference between a Hasbara troll who knows zilch and hell bent on breaking our spirit and someone who lives in the country and knows what's really happening. Yes, things are not rosy pink but aren't that gloomy doomy either. the national debt has been exaggerated in numbers several times and last revision by the finance minister reduced it by more than 27%... scaremongering will not work with us our revolutionary spirit is very well alive and we will make it happen, just don't cry when we start selling you Gas in market prices and when certain countries vessels pay full fee to use the Suez and stop getting special treatment. hey take it or leave it, we need the money don't we? you just said it.
@Anonymous 6:00:00 PM "actually it's only wheat and meat" HAHAHAHAHAHA yeah those aren't important ROTFLMAO "Hasbara troll... our revolutionary spirit is very well alive..." OMFG you are beyond ridicule because you are a self-parody. With Jew-hatred and revolutionary spirit like yours, who needs food?
ReplyDeleteJason said...
ReplyDelete@Anonymous 6:00:00 PM "actually it's only wheat and meat" HAHAHAHAHAHA yeah those aren't important ROTFLMAO "Hasbara troll... our revolutionary spirit is very well alive..." OMFG you are beyond ridicule because you are a self-parody. With Jew-hatred and revolutionary spirit like yours, who needs food?
I didn't say they weren't important and that food wasn't important/ also explained the agricultural plans to become self sufficient when it comes to wheat by 2013. In fact very few countries nowadays are 100% self sufficient when it comes to food. Japan imports more than 60% of its fish and rice, the 2 most important staples there. Rice in Japan is the equivalent of wheat in Egypt.
What Jew hatred are you talking about?? because I mentioned Hasbara troll? you can't distinguish between zionism(Israel) and Judaism as a religion it seems, my maternal Grandmother was Jewish by the way and she died in Egypt in 1988 as a Jew, she didn't convert to Islam and never went to the "promised land" . I think the only self-parody here is you sir...
Jason, get a life. You're pathetic.
ReplyDeleteYou will soon be nothing to eat,morons!
ReplyDeleteHannibal Lecter?
ReplyDeleteDear all,
ReplyDeleteI am really amazed by what I have been reading for the last 5 monthes.
I cannot imagine that people are so naive that they would imagine or even hope that the military institution could save our country.
The revolution was not against Mubarak, but against the whole regime that has been in place since 1952.
The military institution is the most corrupted in Egypt, and any change is not in their interests. Not only have they steal the revolution, they try now to laugh at us.
I was strongly opposed to the last referendum, and from the legal point of view, all what happened is a mere joke:
- first they suspended the constitution
- then they made some amendments that are not the core problems
- then they organized referendum
- then, despite having been accepted, they made a constitutional annoucement "e3lan dostori", which was different from the amendments which were accepted
I do not blame all those who voted yes, but I am disappointed, that, although many people know that our main problem is the bad governance and the military mindset, they still try to defend them or support them, just to give them a chance.
They shall not be given a chance until they take the initiative and make true reforms that would be a prelude to solving political, economic and social problems.
How could be a Council of people 50%-composed of peasnts and workers.
The military institution are not serious about reforms, they want to avoid any change and keep their privileges.