Millions gathers in the streets of Cairo to fight for their rights. Photo credit by Wael Bed.
The following are true stories from people who experienced the Egyptian revolution from 2011 to 2013.
Terry Nessim (Translated)
I will not tell you about the revolution on Jan. 25, 2011, because you will find millions of videos on Youtube. But after the 2011 revolution and until the end of 2013, the events did not cease. Whether it was fighting, shootings and confrontations between the revolutionaries and the Muslim Brothers who kidnapped the 2011 revolution and came to power, that’s what brought up the second revolution on the 30th of June, 2013 against the President of the Muslim Brothers, Morsi.
This period was very interesting and my husband and our children were caught up in these events. For example, in November 2012, Islamist President Morsi, made a constitutional declaration that the president has power over everything and everyone which triggered the new revolution. Right after this, we organized demonstrations in Tahrir Square and in front of the Presidential Palace and we were 1.7 million people (and that’s only according to the cellular companies’ estimates). Then came Dec. 5, 2012, where I myself fainted because of a teargas bomb that was thrown right next to me. An hour later, the police that were throwing the bombs to protect the palace, joined the people and opened the gates of the palace so that we could enter and reject the President, but we failed.”
Terry Nessim (far left) with her family and close friends holding posters with a photo of Mohamed Morsi, who at the time was the president of Egypt, with a cross on his face forcing him out of the position. Photo by Wael Abed.
Engy Hebesh
It was on Jan. 25, 2011, when the Egyptian people decided they had enough. I remember I had a flight scheduled to go back home to Canada on the 28th of January. I was a student at MSA university in Cairo and my semester just ended and my flight was scheduled long before knowing Egypt was about to change forever.
My fiancé that lived in Cairo at the time was relieved that I was departing and was about to leave all the danger that was happening. They announced an emergency curfew and no one was allowed to be on the streets past 7 p.m. At that time, most Egyptians didn’t really know what was going on. People that were sitting at home only knew what was being told on TV.
People would call in and report bombs being fired and that Egyptian prisoners are escaping prison and they are coming to attack the homes of civilians. Some said the riots have gotten more and more dangerous and now it’s become every man for themselves the police are now helpless and there is no one to protect us.
The men were asked to go down to the streets of their neighborhood and protect their homes. They made checkpoints where all the men walked around with some sort of weapon, whether it was a stick, a metal rod or even a gun for some. Everyone needed protection. The men separated themselves in different part of the neighborhood and no one was allowed to pass by unless the neighborhood watchers checked their ID and made sure it was safe. And if they suspected the person was dangerous they would hold them prisoner on the corner of the street until proven otherwise.
I remember arriving to the airport the morning of Jan. 28 and it was packed with foreigners trying to get home. I finally made it on the plane after five hours of waiting passed the customs area. And that was it. That day I took off, leaving behind my fiancé and family with absolutely no real understanding of what is about to happen to them. Will I ever be able to see them again? The last words I heard from my fiancé was, “I hear gun shots. I gotta go back down to the streets. Love you, take care, bye.”
Oct. 9, 2011, I came back to Cairo to begin yet another semester, this time it was my last one. It was my fiancé’s and my anniversary, and we were heading out to celebrate. I had double-parked my car (this was normal in Egypt). On our way out, my fiancé advised to change my parking spot to somewhere safer so that no one hits it or scratches it. So I did. That day there were riots in Mispiro. Most of the Christian Egyptians were demonstrating in front of the newscasting building in an area called Mispiro in order to be heard by the media. It wasn’t long before what was supposed to be a peaceful demonstration became a total massacre. The army had taken over control of the country at this point and the police were no longer anywhere to be seen. During the demonstrations of Mispiro, the Egyptian army was in charge of keeping everything under control. However, what happened that day many would testify that the army was the cause of most of the deaths in Mispiro.
As the civilians were demonstrating on the streets, certain people within the crowd began to start chaos and trouble. People started to get riled up and things became very aggressive. Army tanks were found driving over people and harming the civilians. Now, at this point, we were under the impression it was the army. Many people claim that the army tank were hijacked and taken over by looters. But things weren’t clear; no one knew what was going on or what the truth was. Who was behind those army tanks and why were they killing people?
For five years of my student life in Egypt, I lived on Ramsis Street. It was a pretty central area and five minutes away from Liberty Square and 10 minutes away from Mispero. Most of the riots that would occur in those areas, we would be able witness from the comfort of our balcony. Next to our building was a hospital called Coptic Hospital. When there were any injuries or deaths that happened nearby, people would send the bodies straight to the hospital. We witnessed many injuries in front of us, and families waiting for their loved ones outside of the hospital, hoping that they are still alive.
On Oct. 9, 2011, a lot of bodies were transferred to the hospital due to the massacre that happened in Mispiro, as the people transfered the bodies, there were others that continued causing chaos on the streets. And now they have reached Ramsis Street. That day, all the cars owners that were parked on the street removed their cars far away so that nothing would happen to it. However, the only cars that were still left parked on the street were my car, my cousin’s car and my uncle’s car. The cars were left vulnerably outside and it was too late to do anything about it. The crowd were getting closer to the hospital and we were left stuck up on the balcony with nothing to do but hope that us and our belongings were safe.
It wasn’t moments later that the looters started breaking into our vehicles and ripping apart the tires and breaking the windows. Finally they burned all three cars. The fire from the burnt cars caught on to the trees that were near our building but, thankfully, our building was okay. I remember my aunt was screaming at the top of her lungs for them to stop, but that only aggravated them more. Some of them even tried to break into our building but weren’t successful.
The tragedy ended with thousands of people dead that day and many injured. When we witnessed the number of people that died, we couldn’t help but to be thankful that it was only our cars that we lost. I will never forget my years in Egypt, everyone was driven by fear and chaos, but for the Egyptians life continued, and we were able to overcome.
Millions of Egyptians waving their nation’s flag to get President Mohamed Morsi removed. Photo by Wael Abed.
Sherif Gress
It was so beautiful with the Tahrir Square, but outside, when the police withdrew from the streets of the country, it was chaos. Prison breaks, everyone was stealing from everyone. Some people found their way to avenge themselves, especially against police officers. Many were dead. All jewelry stores, malls, general stores, hyper-markets and almost everything else were robbed. It was about 11 days of total chaos until the army took over and tried to control the streets. What was amazing, was that the people themselves united together to protect their own homes. Neighbours, friends, families were together in the streets protecting each other in the night and in the morning against thugs and thieves. This is in general.
My office was robbed, and the building was burnt to the ground. All my stuff was lost – printers, laptops, all personal belongings that were left in office was robbed or burnt. Thank God it was a Saturday morning, so I wasn’t in the office as the thugs were killing each other when dividing the stuff they robbed. I was in shifts protecting my home and family during the night in the street in front of my home. Nothing to do, cannot communicate with anyone, no internet, no mobile networks everything was down by the government. Only the TV and land lines that you get information from.
Gradually everything was going back to normal after the SCAF (Supreme Council of the Armed Forces) took control over the country and they were in procedure to make presidential elections.
The Revolution was very important because this country had no future. At least now it has maybe good or bad but it has a future. At least, now you can stand up for the corruption, extortion and oppression of the police officers. The media is a little bit free now.
