Protecting the revolution on Friday 13th !!

And the MB has mobilized its full force once again to Tahrir square , to “Protecting the revolution Friday” in order to show off its size in front of the country.

Buses from all over the country poured in to Tahrir square since last night. MB's members from youth , men and women or in better description full families headed to the square showing their affiliation to the MB with pride wearing its caps and holding its flag.

The numbers were huge , we are speaking about hundreds of thousands here without doubt. The buses were so many that they are parked at the NDP torched HQ to the museum , from Kasr Al Nil bridge to Novotel hotel on the other side and this gives you a hint if you know the place well. There was for instance that group of MB girls keeping from Fayoum chanting against Suleiman.

Most if not all  the parties and powers participated in the protest were Islamist starting with The Muslim brotherhood and its political arm Freedom and Justice Party , The Salafist Front, The Building and Development Party, Al Fadila Party , Al Amal Party and Al Nour Party “It was not shown”. The biggest participant from numbers of protesters and mobilization is by the Muslim brotherhood.  The MB members used to protect the square and have these checkpoints for both men and ladies.

Yet despite being an Islamist dominated protest , it was not like July 29th, 2011 Protest where most of these parties called for Islamic Sharia rule and constitution. This time it was one goal and one demand : To refuse the presidential candidacy of former regime remnants especially the candidacy of Omar Soliman. 

The protesters held banners against former regime remnants including Omar Soliman and Amr Moussa. Of course Soliman got the biggest share from banners and chants like "Like Soliman , you are the Americans’ agents” and “ Omar Soliman has lost his mind”.

There are the same old chants against military rule like "Down with military rule" and "Tantawy say to Anan,the revolution is at the square" yet it is new thing to hear them from the MB protesters in this way. The MB stage interestingly enough was chanting Sheikh Emam songs too.

There were three stages I spotted so far ,the most active stage was at Hardee's corner and it was set up by MB. The second one is set up by Hazem Abu Ismail campaign. The third was set up by Al Amal party and it was not active like the other two.

The MB stage blamed SCAF and regime remnants for the clashes that happened  through the year 2011 after February 11,2011 in a huge change.

Through all the time I have been there “from 11AM to 5PM” I noticed that the speakers at the MB stage were speaking about the national unity between political powers chanting over and over “One hand”

Despite the MB stage was careful to stay away from any partisan or political or sectarian chant other than chants against the Mubarak’s regime remnants , the Abu Ismail campaign used to have these chants calling for Islamic social justice or supporting Abu Ismail for presidency like “The people want Abu Ismail as a president”.

One of the speakers Mr. Osama Ezz El Arab who heads something called “ The revolutionary front to protect the revolution” announced at Abu Ismail stage that the “corrupted”constitutional declaration of March 2011 was toppled !! Strangely the crowed cheered for that where as most of that crowed voted that “corrupted” constitutional declaration !!!!!!!!! 

Ezz El Arab declared that Abu Ismail has joined as a lawyer in Khairat El Shater defense team considering his legal status in presidential elections.

If Hazem Abu Ismail got a stage in Tahrir square supporting his candidacy for presidency , Khairat El Shater got his supporters from MB who got these bags with names. Anyhow Abu Ismail was popular than El Shater in the square today , his campaign was already selling his T-shirts , posters and souvenirs. One of Abu Ismail’s campaigners told me that they invited the potential presidential candidate to attend the protest. Of course he did not attend because he got that jazz about his candidacy and his mother US citizenship debate.

After leaving the square I found interesting stuff took place there like for instance a group of Al Azhar sheikhs attacked Sheikh Ahmed El Tayib of Al Azhar and described him as the puppet of SCAF. The other big moment I missed when the famous Aboud El Zoomor of Al Gama’a Al Islamiya spoke from the stage praising Abu Ismail and attacking Omar Suleiman. It is not a big surprise considering the fact that Abu Ismail believes that Bin Laden is a hero.

Among those attended the protest and spoke to the public Sheikh Safwat Hegazy , MP Essam of Al Wasat Party and MP Mohamed El Beltagy of Freedom and Justice Party.

The Bearded officers group was there in the square holding banners calling for their right to have a beard while they are in the force. Of course one must ask if they did understand that this protest was about specific thing other than their cause.

Moving from the square to the rallies ,MPs from freedom and Justice party Led rallied from Giza as well Downtown Cairo to Tahrir square after Friday prayer against the Candidacy of the former Mubarak's remnants to presidency.   According to eye witnesses the rallies were huge and the organizers were keen to keep it free from partisan slogans or chants or demands of focusing only on chants like "Down with the regime".

The revolutionary youth are angry from the Muslim brotherhood specifically and thus they can’t trust them and support them in similar protests. Already some revolutionary activists feared that today’s protest was another political maneuver between the MB and SCAF.

Well it is indeed a maneuver and the MB is once again showing off its true size in front of SCAF and Egypt.

Some people believe that this protest with that its Islamist color that no can deny is actually a good campaign of its own for Omar Suleiman who uses the fear from radical Islamist take over in the country.

I look from the positive side and say that it is good to return back to the square even for certain goals , hopefully there will be more color in the square next Weekend insh Allah.

I am so tired but I am uploading photos and videos as fast as I could.

Friday 13th April 2012 protest in Tahrir

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