Revolutionary Youth

The youth who made the Revolution

Egyptian young revolutionaries inspired the Arab spring youth. They occupied streets and squares in Cairo, Alexandria and Suez, they were arrested and tortured. But now they have to face politics. And divisions among activists come out. They are socialists, liberals, bloggers, Muslim Brothers. They shared innovative methods of peaceful fight for a common target: to fire Hosni Mubarak, the former Egyptian president who risks the capital punishment for ordering to shoot on demonstrators, and his system of power. The next September Parliamentary elections are near. Egypt is a laboratory of a renewed political life. Every young Egyptian forms his political view dealing with the Council of Armed forces or going back to Tahrir for new ‘’Fridays of anger’’. The road towards a democratic transition in Egypt is fright with obstacles for the young revolutionaries. Last June the 29th, hundreds were injured among relatives of people killed during the Revolution. After that, the Coalition of Youth went back to Tahrir asking that the marshal Mohammed Tantawi, head of the military junta, stepped down. ‘’6 April’’, a liberal ngo, Kifaya!, movement founded in 2005, witch means ‘’That’s enough!’’, and socialists decided to start from the 8 of July a permanent sit-in in Tahrir. Liberals and Muslim Brothers joined them to present again revolutionary requests: more jobs, better salaries, a welfare State, rights of citizenship, for women and minorities. However each young activist has his one personal target ranging from a more liveable city to a country freed from corruption, from a better education system to the creation of secular parties. But the path towards democracy is still long and dangerous. Demonstrators continue asking for a new Constitution, while the dates of September and November for next Parliamentary and Presidential elections appear uncertain. For these reasons, many activists warned that even free elections could be not enough for a return to stability.

Giuseppe Acconcia e Francesca Leonardi
The Independent, 2011