The Vital Role Of Tahrir Square In Egyptain Revolution 2011

The Vital Role Of Tahrir Square In Egyptian Revolution 2011

25/01/2011 hestorical day in egypt for current generation and coming ones.it's the day of egyptian revolution begined from Tahrir Square the godfather of egyptian revolution.The demonstrations inspired the world. They were a dramatic and moving outpouring of the people’s desire for an end to Mubarak’s oppressive regime, and the corruption, infringement of people’s rights, and brutality associated with the 40-year enforcement of the ‘state of emergency’. The desire for self-government was passionately voiced.

Tahrir Square is a sprawling, amorphous, open space on the east bank of the Nile at the center of Cairo. The east side of the Square is bounded by Haussmann-inspired seven story buildings containing many hotels with some shops at street level. On the opposite side, between the square and the river are monumental, free-standing buildings, including a fifteen story hotel. At the north end is the Egyptian Museum, at the south are government offices. By different estimates there are at least eight, and perhaps as many as twenty-three streets and two bridges leading into it, making it impossible to close off the square.
When protests erupted on January 25, peaceful demonstrators from all over the city started marching toward Tahrir Square  The square was a magnet partly because of its central location and symbolic name — Tahrir means "liberation" — and partly because of its history as the scene of dissent. Earlier demonstrations, however, such as those against the Iraq War, were much smaller, and quickly quashed by police. This time demonstrators were determined to occupy and hold the square — to symbolically reclaim it. Violence between the security forces of the Interior Ministry and protesters broke out on the evening of Jan. 25, and the square began to empty; but the use of excessive force then made Tahrir an even more potent 
symbol, and spurred the larger protests that started on Jan. 28; by this point an estimated 30,000 people had gathered. State security, too, recognized the growing symbolism of the place and took still more vigorous measures to fortify the area, using water cannons, tear gas, rubber bullets and live ammunition against crowds of people equipped mostly with cameras and cell phones. And so on Jan. 28 the battle shifted yet again; now the goal was not only to defeat state security forces and to topple the regime but also to claim the square as the main stage of events and to transform it into the epicenter of the revolution.
During the next few days, as the state police retreated and protesters gained control, Mubarak sent paid thugs to attack citizens with sticks, knives and Molotov cocktails, and in a desperate and surreal move, he also sent plainclothes officers on horseback and camel back. There were violent moments, we know; but once these ended what remained was a new Tahrir Square, quickly dubbed the "free people’s republic of Tahrir."

Egyptians In 25 Jan Revolution

Entry points were manned by volunteers who checked for weapons and identification — denying entry to anyone employed by the Interior Ministry. Outside the checkpoints, long cues formed and people waited patiently for hours. Once inside, past the checkpoints, new arrivals walked through long rows of men and women who welcomed them with cheers. By this point the military were standing by, at the entrances, helping to secure the area. The square now belonged to the people who had defeated the regime’s efforts to disperse and defuse the young revolution; by this point the crowds had grown to an estimated 400,000. And for the next two weeks, what happened in Tahrir was more than a demonstration; it was the creation of a dynamic and resourceful community of citizens brought together by the shared goal of bringing true democracy to Egypt. 

During these days Tahrir became a hub for social activity and artistic creativity. People sold food and drinks, set up recycling bins and portable toilets, organized the logistics of daily life. Protest signs were humorous and creative. One said, “Step down, my wife is about to have a baby and he doesn’t want to see you.” Another said, “Thanks for bringing us together. Now leave.” And yet another, held aloft by 
a stoic young man: “Step down
already, my arms hurt.” Throughout the square bloggers were streaming comments and images onto the Internet. Doctors and nurses were providing free healthcare in impromptu clinics. Filmmakers were interviewing protesters and creating an instant archive, a visual and oral record of history as it was unfolding. Musicians, professional and amateur, wrote songs and tested them on eager audiences. There were poets, puppeteers and comedians. Art teachers provided supplies and then displayed the artworks that resulted on a public wall. There was even an artist who painted a large canvas that invited protestors to participate in its making. Tahrir Square had been transformed not only into a social and public space but also into the biggest spontaneous event of community-organizing and nation-building the country had ever seen. With the protection of the army, as the security threat abated, Tahrir took on the atmosphere of a carnival. 


But the occupation of Tahrir Square, day and night, by mass numbers of peaceful protestors, had an over-arching purpose: to bring international attention to the demands of the people, to force the government to step down, and to pressure the military — constitutionally obligated to protect the people not the regime — to take action and topple Mubarak. And ultimately it was this peaceful occupation of an important urban space in the nation's major city that brought down a repressive and tenacious government.


 February 11, 2011 is the day Mubarak stepped down. revolution has been spontaneous, nonviolent, young, cheerful, humorous, beautiful, hopeful. It has been a wonderful revolution.
Mubarak's resignation was announced by his vicepresident, Omar Suleiman, in a very brief statement in which he said the President quit and transferred his powers to the military. The military issued their third communique in which they affirmed that they will abide by the revolutionary legitimacy and only serve to guarantee a peaceful transfer of power, and saluted the fallen martyrs of the revolution.
The last 24 hours have been extremely tense, with people waiting for Mubarak's resignation only to get a disappointing speech by Mubarak followed by justified outrage and an intent to escalate and march to the presidential palace and to other vital buildings, including the State TV and Radio building. In the days following Mubarak’s resignation, thousands took to the streets with cleaning supplies, brooms and 


trash bags; they were responding to spontaneous nationwide calls by activists and concerned citizens. Cleaning efforts had begun in Tahrir just days after the start of the revolution, but with Mubarak truly gone, Egyptians wanted to clean — to cleanse — the entire country, to rid it of trash, of the old regime. Cairenes scoured their city, and many give Tahrir special attention. Streets were swept, anti-regime graffiti removed, statues were washed. Artists and students painted patriotic slogans on blank walls: "Welcome to the new Egypt," "From Egypt with love," and "25 January Revolution." Construction companies dispatched volunteers to move mounds of trash to landfills. A true sense of civic pride, suppressed for decades, has blossomed. 


References :-

touregypt.net