Published by MADA MASR
Nata nel 2013, Mada Masr è una rivista on-line di base al Cairo, che rivendica un giornalismo impegnato e indipendente, con inchieste, analisi, approfondimenti e articoli culturali pubblicati in inglese e in arabo.
Qui il racconto del 25 gennaio 2011 ad Alessandria d’Egitto, la rivoluzione, le sue falle, i suoi entusiasmi, da quattro diversi punti di vista.
Scene (I): Starting out
On Tuesday, January 25, 2011, young Mohamed* stood in trepidation and anxiety on an empty street in east Alexandria. He looked around for any familiar signs of police presence but saw none. At 11 am, he started calling the 10 phone numbers that were given to him earlier in the morning, following the plan established by his organization. He was assigned to the popular district of Asafra, in the northeast part of the city. The then 20-year-old instructed his group to meet at 12 pm around the Asafra hospital. “Be there at 12 sharp. At 12:05, we won’t be there,” he reminded them over the phone.
“Time was against us. We couldn’t afford to get arrested before even starting. That’s why I was telling them that we would leave right away,” he explains. The neighborhood had been prepared for the march. On January 24, Mohamed and others had distributed hundreds of flyers calling on people to participate. They had spoken to people from all walks of life, encouraging them to take part, discussing their opinions and soothing their angst.