Demonstration #1: Friday 2nd September 2005

STATUS: MISTIMING >:(

OK let me just tell you what the fuck happened today.......

I wake up at 10 in the morning.. the whole family is surprised to see me awake at that time...

- "You?! Awake?! Now?! What the hell happened?!"

- "Ohh! For sure a girl! That's the only thing that would move him! Going to her house ehh? Parents not at home?" (accompanied by a I-Know-What-You-Are-Doing-This-Summer wink)

I have to swear to them it's not a girl.. and then I have to assure them it's not a guy either.. and I need to point out to my uncle "No not even a rabbit"! :-/

"I just need to do something... can't tell you about it"

Before I go I call up my friend to make sure If he's coming... the fucker won't answer 'cause he knows thats the only reason I would call at this hour... Whatever.. Screw him I'm going to my first real demonstration alone..

I'm out of the house at around 10:40 am.... A bit late I guess.. I'm driving there.. but I think it would be wiser to take a cab... I have no clue where the hell the place is and the parking will most probably be an issue... Then I remember I have to stop by somehwere to get some credit for my phone - you know... just incase shit happens... I step on it and something else is bugging me at the back of my head... "No banners.. No nothing.. Would'nt look good if everyone was like that.. Nevermind.. I'll be better prepared next time"

I drive along and I see this guy selling flags on the other side of the road... For a moment I think about that.. I'm already late and I want to take this seriously.. Buying a flag for the demonstration would seem like I'm doing it for fun - you know.. just for the hell of it.. like that time when I went to the Egypt vs. Senegal match and had my face panted Black White Red when I'm not really into football that much.. It was just for the hell of it.. To get some fun out of it..

"No but this is for real.. and If everyone did what I did the demonstration would look like a blast"... With that I make a U-turn.. stop next to the guy.. "15 LE, 25 LE or 30LE??".. I needed some spare money so 30 LE was out and I couldn't tell the difference in size between the 15 and 25 LE ones.. "15 LE".. I buy the flag.. a U-turn.. and I'm off...

I don't even remotely have a clue where the Syndicate is but out of gut feeling I go down the "M. El Shaheed" ramp from the 6th October Bridge. Riot police trucks and something about "Fraudulent Elections" on one of the hung posters tell me that it must be near! It's around 11:05.. Close enough... And I think these guys are accurate in timing... I'm sure I'll hear them if I'm close... I'm sure *alot* of people are showing up...

I hear nothing... I'm afraid to ask anyone for directions lest they turn out to be police in street clothes.. I ask a taxi driver with a beard "Come after me.. this way! I'll lead you for a while and then you take the...." He gives me directions which I don't really follow because of the noisy street and it's kinda difficult to talk to a nearby car and drive and the same time and all the while looking at the guy's face and can't help thinking how really pleased he looks that I asked this question.. He has a "I-Know-Why-You-Are-Asking-And-I-Admire-It-Young-Man"
Anyway I move along and go where he told me too... I still need to ask someone because he told me to ".... go there and ask for..." I didn't hear the rest but I was assuming he meant the Syndicate. So anyway I still need to ask someone but goddamnit where are the taxi drivers when you need them. I roam around the area. "I'll definitely hear them if I'm close".

All in all it took me 40 minutes, 3 other taxis drivers, a lousy parallel park and a few metres of walking to get to the goddamn street where the Syndicate was. I had left everything in the car except my phone (in case shit happens..), 30 LE (Money goes a long way in Egypt in times of crisis although I doubted how much 30LE will go) and my driver's license (If they don't take me in because of the demonstration then it will be because of not carrying an ID so I though driver's license was safe enough). I kept the flag in the car in case it looks suspicious and they decide to take me in before I actually reach the street. It was my first street demonstration so I really don't know how this stuff works out. I will just "check the pulse" of the situation and if I decide it's safe I will go back for the flag.

11:45. The moment I entered the Syndicate's street on foot I almost peed in my pants. For the whole length of the street, both pavements were lined with soldiers : Traffic Police in white and orange, Central Security soldiers (riot police) in black, Police Officers in white and plainclothed "Mabahes" (police "investigators", although they have a more active role in the Egyptian police.. while riot police usually beat you up and control a crowd, the "Mabahes" guys blend into a crowd, gang up on you, arrest you and take you to their fun wagon, God knows what happens after that... I would rather be beat up by riot police instead) All these not including the dozen or so riot police trucks filled up with soldiers.. God knows how many are in each... Anyway so I'm walking down the street... and the whole rows of men are following me with their eyes.. I don't know if it was their suspicion of me or the red t-shirt.. "So I guess this means no flag".. I try to keep the coolest possible face.. like I'm just an innocent passer by.. If I could whistle easy I would have.. "Where the fuck is that Syndicate... Why can't I hear voices?!".. I look to my right.

"Journalists' Syndicate". I lower my head and I immediately recognize the stairs that I have seen in many of Kefaya's demonstrations. Only thing.. THERE WERE 12 PEOPLE ! >:(
12 PEOPLE AMONGST WHAT COULD BE 12,000 SOLDIERS >:( Are these the ones supporting the judges?! Fuck if some maniac officer decided he didn't want to put up with a demonstration today he could have a few hundred guys pick these kids like trash and stuff them in a truck.
TWELVE?! I counted them myself! :(

I chickened out :(

I kept moving :(

Since then and till a couple of hours ago I couldn't stop thinking whether what I did was smart or just cowardly. 12 guys... ok they are courageous... but is that really effective and smart?? Even if it wouldn't have been an effective demonstration.. would it still be classified as cowardly or as smart??

IT WAS FUCKING STUPID. Had I joined these guys, I would have known that the demonstration starts at 2PM NOT 11AM >:(

Due to a fuck-up in Kefaya's website they mentioned the wrong timing and then fixed the error but I hadn't checked the website since then :-/

I HATE THIS! >:(

Check out the pics below... These are the masses that showed up later :-/


GGRRRRRRRRRRRRR >:(