Relighting the Torch

Hundreds of women marched to Tahrir Square on January 20, demanding justice for those who were killed during clashes between protesters and authorities at Maspero, Mohamed Mahmoud Street and the Cabinet of Ministers. They also called for the Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF) to transfer power to a civilian government on January 25. Dressed in black in symbolic mourning for those who died during the revolution, women of all ages and backgrounds marched into the iconic square, chanting “Down down with military rule”as they arrived from Mohandiseen, Giza and Shubra. Among the protesters was Gehan Hassan, a mother of three, who says that political and economic conditions have worsened due to SCAF’s “poor performance” ruling the country. “I came today because it has been a year since the January 25 Revolution and not a single demand has been met until today,” Hassan says. Female protesters then marched from Tahrir Square to Talaat Harb Street in Downtown Cairo carrying images of martyrs and women who were brutally attacked in the Cabinet clashes on December 16. Around 100 men surrounded the women during their march, forming a human shield against potential attack and chanting alongside with the protesters. Unwavering Hope The number of protesters increased gradually as they reached Talaat Harb Street chanting: “We’re still not tired, we’re still not tired, it’s either a complete revolution or nothing.” “How is it that we have more and more people dying every day while no one is getting arrested or tried for such atrocities?” Hassan asks. Dina Hanafy, a political science student at Cairo University who was also at the march, expresses her dissatisfaction with SCAF’s decisions over the past year. She stressed the importance of purging governmental institutions that are still working parallel to the old regime after the January 25 Revolution. Asked about her expectations for the mass protests called for January 25, Hanafy says that even though she is somewhat pessimistic, she still sees “the light at the end of the tunnel. “We never thought we’d see the day when Mubarak gets ousted,” says Hanafy. “Maybe this year the military council will get ousted too, who knows?” Marching in Solidarity Participants say the march wasn’t just about feminism or women’s status in the revolution; they wanted to show a sense of unity and ownership of the revolution — that is why they were gathering people of all ages, backgrounds and genders. Hala Abdel Fattah, 78, who participated in the march with her daughter and granddaughters, said that her voice alone is not enough. “The march was not just about the women. We had the men behind and around us for protection and some were chanting with us,” she says. “We must prove that we’re united all the time.” The message was not lost on the male participants and observers. Sameh Saber, 41, was one of the men who surrounded the women for protection. He described the march as “uniting.” Saber, who was carrying pictures of women attacked by people in military uniform during December's Cabinet clashes, believes that women’s contribution in the revolution is just as important as the men’s. “Our Egyptian sisters and mothers have proved to us that they are much braver than our Egyptian patriarchal society,” he says. As protesters marched near shops and residential buildings, dozens of residents and salesmen came out of their balconies and shops as they waved in solidarity. The women called on onlookers, urging them to go down and join the march, chanting, “Dear families, come and join us, the revolution is yours and ours.” Saying the march was just a rehearsal for January 25. Abdel Fattah asserts the political environment in Egypt has “corrupted everyone in the country. “The January 25 Revolution was a wakeup call,” she says, “and in the upcoming protests [we] are telling SCAF that we are just as determined as we were a year ago” she said. “We must continue fighting because we owe it to our martyrs.”