One year on, Egyptians pursue an unending revolution

By Nehal El-Sherif, dpa

   Cairo (dpa) – Wearing a T-shirt with the words “The Revolution Continues,” Mohammed Ghanem stands in the middle of Tahrir Square with his friends to mark the first anniversary of the January 25 uprising that forced long-time president Hosny Mubarak out of power.

   “Down with the Military Rule,” Ghanem chanted, with a group of protesters, and “The Blood of the Martyrs Will Not Go in Vain."

   “One year has passed since the revolution. But have we achieved the demands we were pursuing? Not really,” Ghanem says, as he takes a break from the protest.

   Egypt recently held its first free elections in decades, in which Islamist parties made massive gains. The new parliament convened its first session just this week.

   "Yes, elections were a good step. Still, it is still too early to judge the parliament, which in itself is not enough," Ghanem told dpa.

   Ghanem is a business graduate who has been unable to find a permanent job since he graduated 18 months ago.

   “I am joining thousands of the people who want a decent living, and most importantly to feel they are dealt with respect in their country. If we cannot achieve the demands made during the revolution, then those who sacrificed their lives would not rest in peace,” he says, before rising to his feet to join the protest again.

   The protesters gathering in Tahrir on Wednesday were not happy at the slow pace of trials for former officials, including Mubarak, charged with killing hundreds of people during the revolt last year.

   A huge black banner showed photos of Mubarak, his ex-interior minister Habib al-Adli and Egypt’s military ruler, Field Marshall Hussein Tantawi, with the noose around them. Tantawi was Mubarak’s defence minister for 20 years.

   The opposition criticizes the junta, which took charge of the country after Mubarak’s stepping down last February, for suspected involvement in the killing of around 90 people since the former president’s overthrow.

   “We need to fight for the freedom of the revolutionary army officers who are now detained for taking the side of the revolution,” a protester, himself as a former officer, said. “We need to save these heroes from punishment.”

   Around 20 army officers have joined protesters in Tahrir in several protests over 2011. They were reportedly sentenced to two-to-three years in prison by military courts.

   Their families say they are on a hunger strike to protest maltreatment inside the military prison.

   Thousands of protesters flocked to Tahrir from the early hours of Wednesday from different parts of Egypt, rallying to the call that the demands of the revolution have not been fully achieved.

   As the military and security forces stayed away from Tahrir, which has been the scene of fatal clashes with anti-military protesters in the past two months, groups of activists were positioned at the entrances to the square to search demonstrators for suspicious items including weapons and knives.

   The protesters gave short shrift to the military ruler’s decision to partially lift the country's 30-year-old emergency laws, starting Wednesday morning.

   In what was seen as a concession to appease protesters, Tantawi said in a televised address on Tuesday the state of emergency would be lifted except in cases of “thuggery.”

   “What does thuggery mean? They previously arrested many protesters on charges of thuggery,” said Amal Hassan, a mother of two, who brought along her children to take part in the rally.

   “I support the revolution because I want a better life for my children. But nothing has changed after Mubarak,” she said, as she adjusted her blue veil.

   “There are still a lot of Mubaraks we should be put on trial before we can celebrate the revolution," she added.