Thousands of Egyptians Stream Towards Tahrir Square

Cairo residents are expecting possible unrest on January 25th as thousands of Eyptians stream towards Tahrir Square to mark the anniversary of the first mass demonstrations against deposed dictator Hosni Mubarak, now on trial for his life on charges of murder and corruption.

While activists are calling for a mass demonstration to mark the anniversary and to protest against the slow-moving transitional government controlled by the military, the Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF) is planning a military parade in celebration of the date. So far, demonstrations are peaceful and the numbers are huge, said the UK's Deputy Ambassador Thom Reilly in a Twitter.com post.

Cairo, the city that doesn't sleep, is also home to the 2011 revolution that toppled Mubarak's decades-old regime. Many people are still afraid to say his name, remembering old fears and his rule through intimidation.

The country's population is waiting for presidential elections in June, but it's a long time until then.

Post-revolutionary Egypt is discovering that it has a long road ahead to full recovery from the effects of decades of dictatorship, and there are certainly fears and doubts about the future. With few experienced politicians and with the military still putting civilian bloggers on trial, it's clear that the fledgling democracy is casting around for the way forward and there are still remnants of the old authoritarianism.

The most organised party is the Muslim Brotherhood, formerly in opposition to Mubarak. Their widespread support could be a good sign for their future government, provided they can bring the democratic and economic modernisation that Egypt needs to recover and move forward.

Photo by activist Mahmoud Salem

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