Place Tahrir – Wikipedia

The place Tahrir (in Arabic : Tahrir Square , Mids at the At-Taacc ), literally “place of liberation” (sometimes translated by independence place ^{[ first ]} ) is one of the main public places in Cairo, Egypt.

Nevergical center of the Egyptian capital, Place Tahrir is located at the junction of several important axes: rue Talaat Harb, rue Al-Mogamma and Avenue At-Tahrir. It is located 200 m du Nile, on the eastern bank, near the Qasr al-Nil bridge.

A gigantic roundabout occupies the center of the square, permanently borrowed by significant automotive traffic.

Several streets lead to Tahrir Square: to the south, rue Qasr al-Ayn, to the east, rue Talaat Harb, north the Meret Basha. The Qasr al-Nil track crosses the square in its southern part, towards the Qasr al-Nil bridge over the Nile.

Tahrir square is bordered by fairly disparate buildings:

• To the west, the Nile Hilton hotels, built on the site of the old Nile Palace, and Concorde ;
• In the south, the Omar Makram mosque, where national funeral are celebrated ^{[ 2 ]} . This mosque takes its name from the hero of the Alexandria expedition in 1807, Omar Makram, resistant to the French occupation, whose statue is placed in front of the mosque;
• The Mogamma, Soviet style building, where thousands of civil servants work, also on the south side of the square ^{[ 2 ]} ;
• On the west side, the seat of the Arab League ^{[ 2 ]} ;
• north of the square, the Egyptian museum ^{[ 2 ]} ;
• The former headquarters of the National Democratic Party (Party of President Mubarak);
• The American University of Cairo, of neo-Moorish style. The adjacent streets are lined with office buildings, shops and cafes.

Cairo metro’s “Sadat” station serves the place.

The place is originally a wetland, flooded periodically by the waters of the Nile, and quite unhealthy. The development begins at XIX ^{It is} century, under the regime of the Khedive Ismaïl Pacha (1830-1895). Inspired by European cities, it has modern buildings built and unravel straight streets and lined with trees. At the edge of the river, it had the Nile Palace built (Qasr-el-Nil) and at the southwest corner of the square, the Ismaïliyey palace. When the English imposed their protectorate in 1882, the Palais du Nile became their headquarters. The building was demolished in 1959 ^{[ 3 ]} .

The place first bears the name of Place Ismaïlia, named Ismaïl Pacha. She was renamed Place de la Liberation at the time of the 1952 Revolution ^{[ 3 ]} .

The August 8, 1976 , an explosion occurs in the toilets of an administration located on Tahrir Square, injuring 14 people; the Egyptian government and the media accuse Libyan agents ^{[ 4 ]} . The Egyptian government declares that it has arrested two Egyptian citizens trained by the Libyan secret services to sabotage in Egypt ^{[ 5 ]} . This will be one of the causes of the Egyptian-Libyan war.

This pivot of Cairote life is the framework of several popular demonstrations: gathering against war in Iraq in 2003, but it is also the rallying point of demonstrations during the Egyptian revolution of 2011 ^{[ 6 ]} .

Place during the 2011 revolution: the town or the Republic ^{[ 7 ]} De Tahrir [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

Faced with the success of the Tunisian revolution, various movements such as the Youth Movement of April 6 call to demonstrate the January 25, 2011 , via Facebook pages, for a day of political demands called “Anger Day”. The day chosen is a national holiday, named Police day , in memory of the Egyptian police insurrection in 1952 which had led to the British ^{[ 8 ]} . The movement of April 6 has organized an event each year on this date, since 2009 ^{[Ref. necessary]} . These demonstrations are prohibited ^{[ 9 ] , [ ten ]} , and Place Tahrir is surrounded by a cord of police officers.

The demonstrators join the place in small groups which take small streets, which allows them to avoid large avenues where the concentrations of police await them ^{[ 11 ]} . These, destabilized, run after these small groups, are divided and fail to prevent the convergence of around 15,000 people in Tahrir Square ^{[ twelfth ]} . Two thousand people demonstrate in Suez, and other demonstrations take place in Alexandria, Assouan, Assiout, in the Nile Delta, in Ismaïlya, in Sinai ^{[ 13 ]} . Protesters occupy the Tahrir square all night, but they are driven out with the water cannon the next morning ^{[ 14 ]} .

The January 27, 2011 , after three days of clashes, the headquarters of the PND in power is burnt down. A few hours later, tanks of the Egyptian army took up position in the place. During the following days, the place becomes the epicenter of the protest, and is invaded daily by thousands of demonstrators. THE first ^is February, it brings together several hundred thousand protesters (around two million in the whole capital ^{[ 15 ]} ).

Corporation of occupations [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

After an occupation which lasts only the night of 25 to 26, the opponents of the regime begin a new occupation of the place after the demonstration of the January 28 , Egyptian police having withdrawn from the place in the night ^{[ 8 ]} . Initially, it would be a place of junction and withdrawal for various events taken under police shots, and not a scheduled occupation ^{[ 16 ]} .

While the demonstrators are only a few thousand at the maximum by leaving the night, their ranks are strengthened all day ^{[ 8 ]} . The neighborhood with the army, which remains on the margins of the place, is going well: soldiers and demonstrators exchange foods ^{[ 8 ]} .

The curfew is obviously not respected, but as soon as it sounded, at 4:00 p.m. January 29 , clashes oppose police and demonstrators in front of the nearby interior ministry, killing three people in the ranks of opponents ^{[ 8 ]} .

From the 30th, the tents multiply in the center of the square. Materials intended to campaign and make a long -term occupation possible is made. The example of the occupation of the main place of Cairo is followed in Alexandria, Suez and in dozens of cities in Egypt ^{[ 17 ]} .

The first ^is February, Place Tahrir is overwhelmed by demonstrators ^{[ 8 ]} . Faced with this success, the power sends, the next morning, a few thousand supporters paid to face the demonstrators. These, surprised at first, resist vigorously: the exchanges of Molotov stones and cocktails last until the middle of the night, then resume the next day, Thursday 3 ^{[ 8 ]} . Finally, and despite the burden of dromedaries, the pro-moubarak are pushed back, after having killed between six and twenty demonstrators and having injured 1500 ^{[ 8 ] , [ 18 ]} .

Following this Raïs failure, the army surrounds the place, then preventing the pro-Moubarak from going to provoke the demonstrators ^{[ 8 ]} . These organize the occupation a little more, the place becoming a city in the city, organizing a wedding, having its office of the items found ^{[ 8 ]} . The prayers of Muslims are protected by laity and Christians, masses take place, in the midst of Muslims who watch over the Christian rite ^{[ 19 ]} .

After the announcement of the departure of Mubarak, on the 11th, the jubilation invades the demonstrators, and the party lasts all night, and resumed on the evening of the 12th in the morning, of the Egyptians clean up the place, reply the sidewalks, rebuild them Paintings of road signaling and urban furniture, even sweep the dust ^{[ 8 ]} .

On Sunday 13, scuffles broke out between the revolutionaries in Place Tahrir, who only want to leave the place when their claims are satisfied, and the army, which after having evacuated the barricades and the wrecks of cars, wants to expel the demonstrators ^{[ 8 ]} . However, it is permanently reoccupied by hundreds of revolutionaries, joined every Friday by more or less important demonstrations.

New clashes oppose the occupants of the square, who repel hundreds of attackers, armed with sticks and knives, the 9 mars . The army, almost absent, does not intervene, just as it had not protected the Copts who demonstrated to protest the fire of one of their churches on Tuesday 8 mars . These community clashes left ten dead and 110 injured ^{[ 20 ]} .

Organization of protest in Tahrir [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

Banner on Tahrir Square: “The people demand the withdrawal of the regime”.

The place constitutes an autonomous universe from the start of its occupation, defining its own operating rules. In a spirit of fraternity and tolerance, although different by different ideals (the atheists meet Muslims, the trade unionists of the military who joined the Revolution), the demonstrators debate the construction of the future Egypt there. Compared to communards living in the autonomous republic, without chiefs, they prepare in small Egypt that they wish for the future ^{[ 21 ] , [ 22 ]} . From the start, they organize themselves to maintain the living place: the morning of the 29 ^{[ 8 ] , [ 21 ] , [ 23 ]} .

Part of the organization is based on “informal” consultations between the movements behind manifestations (the youth movement of April 6 , the most influential, angry youth movement, the Muslim Brotherhood, the alliance for the change of Mohamed el-Baradei) ^{[ 24 ]} . However, decisions were made in a self -management and libertarian mode. After discussion in committees, the proposals, read at the microphone, are adopted by acclamation ( cheer or boo ) ^{[ 25 ]} ; The rest of the country was represented by delegates ^{[ 22 ]} . The premises of the Zéfir travel agency is invested by the demonstrators ^{[ 26 ]} . It serves as HQ for the revolutionary “organizing committee”, made up of informant. Its members (a few dozen with sub-commies) are mainly anonymous, which makes it unnecessary to arrests or threats ^{[ 26 ]} . The movement is structured with specialized sub-commies: security (one of the eminent members of which is a certain “adham” ^{[ 27 ]} ), logistics, medical care ^{[ 26 ]} .

According to Duncan Green, the presence of organized groups, such as the Muslim Brotherhood or supporters’ clubs, proved to be decisive during the defense of the place, the 2 and February 3 . It estimates the proportion of women at 10 to 15% ^{[ 28 ]} ; The presence of women in number, who are not victims of sexual harassment, is in itself an event raised later ^{[ 29 ]} .

The order service set up by the occupants of the square has up to several hundred people ^{[ 26 ]} . He controls and searches people entering the place (separate women and men), and unlocked provocative agents, who are then brought without violence to the Zéfir agency and questioned ^{[ 26 ]} , or in the Sadate metro station transformed into a prison ^{[ 23 ]} . Many of these provocateurs work for the police or the PND ^{[ 30 ]} . The tahrites counted 350 “thugs” (paid storms or plainclothes police from spying or provoking the demonstrators) deleted, arrested and handed over to the army ^{[ thirty first ]} .

Rejection in food is provided in part by Egyptians in solidarity who distribute food for free; itinerant collections and sellers complete ^{[ 8 ]} . Health and help are guaranteed by voluntary doctors, such as Bassem Youssef.

Activists have all the material necessary for meetings and daily life: Sonos for speeches and concerts, water points, TVs to keep up to date ^{[ 8 ]} . Distributed over the place, this material is used for everyone, and no leader emerges, even if several figures from the legal or illegal opposition pass at one time or another to harangu the occupants of the place or simply to be present ^{[ 8 ]} :

Conversely, some personalities deemed corrupt, too close to power or opportunists are expelled unremary, such as singer Tamer Hosni ^{[ 32 ] , [ 7 ]} , television host Amro Adib, the football star brothers Hossam and Ibrahim Hassan ^{[ 7 ]} .

The evening of first ^is February, Mubarak’s speech is screened on a sheet stretched between two posts, allowing the whole crowd to follow him ^{[ 8 ]} .

After the 2 and February 3 , the occupation is organized to last. Nine barricades block the entrances to the square, preceded by garbage soaked in petrol and ready to be burned down ^{[ 23 ]} . For cleanliness, rudimentary toilets are installed, the carcass of a burned police truck is converted into a recycling center ^{[ 8 ] , [ 33 ]} . The demonstrators come from all social classes ^{[ 21 ]} : 150 doctors ^{[ 30 ]} Organize volunteer campaign clinics to treat the victims of clashes with the police and the pro-Moubarak, the main occupying a small mosque, a pharmacy settles, the portraits of the demonstrators killed by the police are exhibited on a “wall of martyrs »» ^{[ 8 ] , [ 23 ]} . All services (care, water and food, phone recharging) are free ^{[ 21 ]} .

The newspapers are displayed on a wall, so that everyone can read them ^{[ 8 ]} . Others are written, printed, sold and read on the square. The revolutionary songs of the 1960s, including those of Cheikh Imam, come back in fashion ^{[ 34 ]} .

The demonstrators themselves organize a second safety cordon with excavation, giving rise to very long queues of Egyptians who came to join the movement. THE February 10, 2011 Strong rumors allow a departure of President Mubarak, which occurs the next day.

Symbolic events [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

Tahrir’s place remains the symbol of the revolution, even after the various changes of government. It is in this place that the new Prime Minister, Essam Charaf, who replaces Ahmed Chafik chased by the Tahrites, comes to take a crowd and proclaim his allegiance to the people during the demonstration of the 4 mars ^{[ 35 ]} . Soldiers and baltaguiyas supervised by officers expel the occupants of Place Tahrir le 9 mars . The Baltaguiyas use bats to type on the demonstrators and use jets of inflamed aerosol bombs as well as a flame thrower to burn the tents. Some demonstrators were arrested by the Baltaguiyas ^{[ 36 ]} .

Journalist Ibrahim Issa chooses to appoint his television channel Tahrir ^{[ 37 ]} .

Tahrir since the fall of Mubarak [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

Tahrir square has become the place of weekly birthdays of the fall of Mubarak. It also hosts the visits to foreign personalities, as a cairote symbol of the Egyptian revolution ^{[ 38 ] , [ 39 ]} . The main foreign personalities to have gone through the Tahrir square since the month of February 2011 are the British Prime Minister David Cameron, Catherine Ashton, the High-Repreens for Foreign Affairs and the Security Policy of the European Union and John Kerry, president of the US Senate Foreign Affairs Committee. Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State of the United States, also went there mars 2011 , but the Chebabs refused to meet him there, because of the ambiguous and changing attitude of the United States during the Revolution ^{[ 40 ]} .

Place Tahrir on July 29, 2011

Friday demonstrations are not just birthdays: each is an opportunity to bring, and to achieve, new claims in order to complete the revolution ^{[ 41 ]} :

• the arrest of dignitaries of the regime, including the Minister of the Interior Habib El-Adli;
• the dismissal of the last government appointed by Mubarak, the 3 mars (the day before an important demonstration and after that of February 25 who had already asked for his departure ^{[ 7 ]} );
• those of 25 mars A you first ^is April for the purification of public media (obtained for official newspapers the 30 mars and state radio-television the April 2 );
• incarceration on the day of a demonstration of Safwat al-Sharif, the April 11 ;
• that of April 8 insisted more particularly on legal proceedings against the dictator: the 13, Hosni Mubarak and his two sons are imprisoned and their auditions begin; Previously, the National Democratic Party has been dissolved. Some demonstrators had tried to extend the demonstration by occupying the place, but their violent expulsion by the police, on the morning of April 9 , leads to the suspension of weekly demonstrations ^{[ 42 ]} ;
• Governors too seriously involved in the Old Regime are replaced;
• the Second day of anger , Friday April 27 , brings together 100,000 people who require the acceleration of procedures against Hosni Mubarak and personalities of the regime, as well as the end of the trials of demonstrators and the release of political prisoners, more various claims specific to each movement ^{[ 42 ]} . The coalition of young people of the Revolution and the Youth Movement of April 6 organized the demonstration, supported by the Democratic Front, the Egyptian Social Democratic Movement, Free Egyptians and Egypt of Liberty ^{[ 43 ]} . This is the most important gathering since February, and it was the demonstrators themselves who ensured security throughout the day ^{[ 42 ]} .

Several other claims have been brought every Friday since the February 11th : the release of political prisoners, the cancellation of the trials of demonstrators by military courts and the grace of those already convicted ^{[ 41 ]} .

During the days of June 28 and 29, 2011, Place Tahrir is the culmination of groups protesting against the violence of the police. After the demonstration of July 8 , a new camp of several thousand people is established ^{[ 44 ] , [ 45 ]} , a sign that the Egyptian revolution is still in progress ^{[ forty six ]} .

The November 19, 2011 , a few days before the legislative elections, the police and the army attack a 200-person camp (anti-riot forces were about 5,000). This violence generates what will be called Mohamed Mahmou street events, The main battle being on this street there . These events are known by: the use of new asphyxiating tear gas and also by their violence (58 dead in 5 days)

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