Anarchism in Egypt  an interview from Tahrir Square

north africa | anarchist movement | interview Wednesday July 03, 2013 18:17 Wednesday July 03, 2013 18:17 by Joshua Stephens by Joshua Stephens

I met Mohammed Hassan Aazab earlier this year over tea at a table of young anarchists in downtown Cairo. The anniversary of the revolution had just passed with massive protests and the emergence of a Western-style black bloc that appeared to have little to do with anarchists in the city. At the time, much of the ongoing grassroots organizing was against sexual violence  in particular, the mob sexual assaults that have become synonymous with any large gathering in Tahrir. The trauma of such violence carried out against protesters was apparent in our conversation. In fact, Aazab told me that he was done with protests and politics, and had resigned himself to the dysfunction of day-to-day life in Egypt.



Then came June 30. Crowds reportedly as large as 33 million took to the streets to call for the Muslim Brotherhood to step down from power, just a year after Mohammed Morsi took office. In the pre-dawn moments of July 1, as Aazabs phone battery dwindled steadily, I reconnected with him to chat a bit about his return to resistance. [Castellano]



An anarchist tent in Tahrir Square. (WNV/Mohammed Hassan Aazab)

An anarchist tent in Tahrir Square. (WNV/Mohammed Hassan Aazab)

Today, all of us worked really hard to get through the protests without violence. Everyones afraid a civil war could break out. The protesters gave Morsi 48 hours to step down. If that deadline passes, therell be a general strike. In the last five hours, 10 people were killed  four in Assiut and six in front of the Muslim Brotherhood headquarters. The sun is coming up now. All the old revolutionaries are preparing for clashes in the streets.Yes. And its still surrounded by protesters right now.No. The unions are totally ineffective.Tamarod [the Rebel Movement] called for the general strike. Actually, it has not been organized in advance; it has been a spontaneous development. It will work by people believing in and supporting it.Port Said will start the general strike tomorrow. I have no idea to what extent people will follow through on it, beyond that. But its clear people are absolutely determined to force Morsi out.I still feel that way, sort of, to be honest. But when people fill the squares in these huge numbers, that feeling dissolves. Im incredibly happy.No, anarchists didnt sign onto the Tamarod declaration. Tamarod is not revolutionary at all. It was just obvious that the movement connected with millions of Egyptians, so we joined the protests. The protesters yesterday were against the idea of an Islamic dictator, but at the same time, most of them are okay with a civil or military dictator. Fuck any dictator. Well never forget. Well never forgive.Yes. Weve got four tents, actually.Right now, were working to ensure old regime supporters dont take over the sit-in.A lot of them.Theyre trying to convince people to let the SCAF [Egypt's military council] take power again.Its different, for sure. Now, the fear comes from the possibility of civil war. Mubark was shit, but he never played the civil-war card. Morsi is so stupid that he doesnt even seem to grasp that we could very likely wind up killing each other in the streets. Things are happening now that never happened before, like people attacking bearded men on the street and insulting them.I feel like this generation of youth around the world is powerfully revolutionary, and now we have the ability to share tools, and to broadcast ideas.I hope that people have learned something from what the Brotherhood did, and I hope its the beginning of the end for political Islam, or any kind of faith in religious parties.By spreading the word that Obama and U.S. government are actively supporting the formation of religious states in the Middle East. The U.S. ambassador said that Egyptians should learn the meaning of democracy! Who the fuck is she to say that?