More Egypt protests planned, but little vision for future (Feature)

By Aya Batrawy Jan 26, 2011, 16:06 GMT

Cairo - Twitter was blocked. So was Facebook. But that didn't deter hundreds of demonstrators Wednesday, who used cellphones to access the websites that have become critical to organizing protests in Egypt.

Activists and bloggers managed to make efficient use of the internet to spread word about demonstrations planned for Friday after mid-day prayers.

Since Tuesday, Egypt has witnessed the largest anti-government protests since President Hosny Mubarak came to power nearly 30 years back. For now, online activists have taken a leading role in organizing the demonstrations, but there appears to be little vision for where all of this will lead.

What's clear is that the protesters are hoping to emulate the popular revolt in Tunisia that led to the recent ouster of president Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali after nearly 23 years in power.

'Bouazizi opened the door to change for all of us,' one demonstrator told the German Press Agency dpa, referring to Tunisian Mohamed Bouazizi, who set himself ablaze after continuous police harassment - that act and his death irrevocably changed politics in Tunisia.

The protests in Egypt, as in Tunisia, are mainly led by online activists, although more than a dozen opposition groups and non- governmental organizations have backed them.

'Yesterday we were all Tunisians, today we are all Egyptians, tomorrow we will all be free,' said one message circulating on Twitter.

Twitter confirmed on its blog Wednesday that it had been blocked in Egypt. 'We believe that the open exchange of info & views benefits societies & helps govts better connect w/ their people,' the blog noted.

Blogger Sandmonkey managed to post a message on Twitter indicating a Cairo location at which to gather. On his way to the protest, Sandmonkey, who asked not to be named, told dpa: 'We are trying to get as many people as possible up and running.'

Egypt's opposition parties are keen to capitalize on the momentum.

Al-Sayed Badawi, head of the opposition Wafd party, was quick to send statements to the press that his party holds Egypt's interests above all as he backed the demonstrations.

Former presidential candidate Ayman Nour, of the al-Ghad party, issued a video statement, available on YouTube, calling on Mubarak to step down.

'Leave, Mr President, before Egypt goes up in flames and leave Egypt its right to choose who will govern it,' said Nour.

Issandr El Amrani, who writes the Arabist blog, cautioned on Tuesday: 'These people should be coordinating - and remember they are not the ones who protested tonight.'

When members of political parties attempted to lead the protesters Tuesday in central Cairo's Tahrir Square, which ironically means liberation, many chose not to follow their lead.

'Everytime someone would step up and start yelling in support of a party, people would silence him,' said Karam, who didn't want to give his full name.

Karam, who stayed in the square until 3 am, told dpa, 'Nobody is asking, 'What's next?', not until the government begins making changes and answering our demands.'

So, what do Egypt's largely young protesters want? Mubarak's ouster, the dissolution of parliament, implementation of democracy and higher wages. They have also slammed Egypt's emergency laws, which ban protests without government permits and allow for arrests without charges.

'We are not supporting a person, but an idea that ElBaradei brought forth about change,' said Mahmoud el-Hetta, of Egyptian opposition figure Mohamed ElBaradei's National Association For Change.

'The next step ... is for people to carry on, without leadership, but with heart,' said el-Hetta.

Even the Muslim Brotherhood, one of Egypt's largest opposition groups, has only maintained a nominal presence in the protests.

The path ahead for Egypt may be unclear. But for Ahmed Morsy, a 28-year-old driver who was participating for the first time in this sort of movement, it was a life-changing experience.

'I felt something in my heart move. I had so much built up inside of me. It felt great to let it out,' Morsy said.

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