Egypt: A List of Demands from Tahrir Square

This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.

Protesting to the beat of a drum on Tahrir Square, Cairo

Protesting to the beat of a drum on Tahrir Square, Cairo. Photo by Adham Khorshed © Copyright Demotix (09/02/2011)

A list of demands from the protesters at Tahrir Square is being circulated online today, the 17th day of massive demonstrations across Egypt calling for the overthrow of the Mubarak regime. The first item calls for the resignation of president Hosni Mubarak.

Wael Khalil lists those demands on his blog (Ar) and says:

هذه المطالب هي نتاج نقاشات متعددة تمت داخل الميدان ولكنها بالتأكيد ليست ممثلة لكل الميدان
These demands are the summary of various discussions at Tahrir Square, and are, of course, not representative of everyone at the square

The immediate demands are:

1. استقالة رئيس الجمهورية مُحمّد حُسني مُبارك
2. إلغاء العمل بقانون الطوارئ
3. إلغاء جهاز مباحث أمن الدولة
4. إعلان عُمَر سُلَيمان التزامه بعدم الترشح للرياسة في الانتخابات الرئاسية القادمة
5. حل مَجلسي الشعب و الشورى
6. الإفراج عن كل المعتقلين منذ 25 يناير
7. إنهاء حظر التجوّل لعودة الحياة الطبيعية في كل أنحاء البلاد
8. الغاء الحرس الجامعي
9. إحالة المسؤولين عن استخدام العنف ضد المتظاهرين السلميين منذ 25 يناير، والمسؤولين عن أعمال البلطجة المنظمة التي تَلَت 28 يناير للتحقيق
10. اقالة أنس الفقي ووقف التجييش بلهجة التخوين والتهديد في أجهزة الإعلام الحكومية ضد الثورة، ووقف إثارة الكراهية في الشوارع ضد الأجانب
11. تعويض أصحاب المحلات عن خسائرهم أثناء حظر التجول
12. إذاعة المطالب أعلاه في تلفزيون و راديو الحكومة
1. The resignation of president Mohammed Hosni Mubarak
2. Cancelling the Emergency Law
3. Dismantling the state secret service
4. An announcement by (Vice-President) Omar Sulieman that he will not run in the next presidential elections
5. Dissolving the Parliament and Shura Council
6. Releasing all the prisoners since January 25
7. Ending the curfew so that life resumes as normal across the country
8. Dismantling the university guards system
9. Referring officials responsible for the use of violences against the peaceful protesters since January 25 and those responsible for the organised thuggery which followed January 28 to an investigation committee
10. Sacking Anas El Fiqi and stopping the attack on protesters in government owned media through threats and calling protesters traitors, and ending the spread of hate against foreigners in the streets
11. Reimbursing shop owners for their losses during the curfew
12. Announcing the demands above on government television and radio

Wael Khalil also lists demands for the transitional period as follows:

. صياغة دستور جديد
2. الحق في إصدار الصحف بلا ترخيص مسبق، و القنوات التلفزيونية و الإذاعة
3. تنفيذ حكم الحد الأدنى للأجور 1200ج – حكم 21606 إداري
4. الحق في تكوين الأحزاب بالإخطار
5. الحق في إنشاء النقابات و الجمعيات بالإخطار
6. تحقيق استقلال حقيقي للصحف القومية و الإذاعة و التلفزيون القوميين بكل ما يتطلبه ذلك من تشريعات و إعادة هيكلة لمؤسسات و هيئات و وزارات
7. إلغاء أداء الخدمة الوطنية في جهاز الشرطة
8. وقف التحكم الامني في الاتصالات والانترنت
1. Drafting a new constitution
2. The right to set up newspapers and open television and radio stations without a prior permission
3. Putting the minimum wage of 1,200 Egyptian Pounds into effect
4. The right to set up political parties, by notification
5. The right to set up associations and unions, by notification
6. Acheiving a real autonomy and independence for national newspapers and television and radio stations, through new legistlation and the reformation of companies, establishments of ministries
7. Cancelling the national service in the police force
8. Ending the security clampdown on telecommunications and the internet

Reactions to demands, on the blog, have so far been limited.

A protester in Tahrir Square, Cairo holds up a sign listing crimes of the Egyptian government against the people.

A protester in Tahrir Square, Cairo holds up a sign listing crimes of the Egyptian government against the people. By Adham Khorshed © Copyright Demotix (09/02/2011)

Anonymous wrote:

أولاً جهاز مباحث أمن الدولة لا يمكن حله ، لإنه المسئول عن الكثير من الملفات الحساسة . يكفى إلغاء قانون الطوارئ لكف يده عن أصحاب الرأى . مش لازم تخليص الثأر على حساب مصلحة البلد
ثانيًا : أنس الفقى بيعمل شغله زى ما هو شايف إنه يخدم البلد ، مش معنى إن أى حد ضد الثورة يكون بالتبعية ضد البلد . و الكلام مش على وزير الإعلام كشخص و لكن على كل اللى له موقف مخالف
ثالثًا : حكم الحد الأدنى للأجور ده غبى و مضر بالموظف المصرى لإن أصحاب الأعمال بدل ما يشغل 2 و يدى الواحد 600 هايجيب واحد بس يشغله شغل 3 أشخاص بال1200 .
الأجور زيها زى الأسعار يجب أن تتحدد بالعرض و الطلب فى سوق حرة أى تدخل بقرارات بيأثر على السوق و يخلق مشاكل
رابعًا : إطلاق الحق فى إصدار الصحف و بث القنوات غير منطقى ، ممكن المطلب يكون إعادة تقييم الشروط لكن كل من هب و دب يعمل جريدة و لا مجلة و لا قناة . كفاية البلاوى اللى على المدونات ، يا ريت قليل من الإحترام للكلمة المطبوعة و الأهم من مين هايمسك ميكروفون و يغسل دماغ الناس بإيه
خامسًا : إلغاء الخدمة الوطنية فى الشرطة و نستورد عساكر من الكنغو يعنى ؟؟

First of all, you cannot dismantle the secret service, as they are responsible for a lot of sensitive cases. It is enough to end the Emergency law in order to stop it from being used to muzzle public opinion. You shouldn't take revenge on them for the benefit of the nation.

Secondly, Anas El Fiqi is conducting his job, as he sees fit to serve the country. This doesn't mean that anyone who is against the revolution is necessarily against the country. And this applies not only to the Minister of Information in person, but to all those who have a different opinion

Thirdly, demanding a minimum wage is stupid and will have a counter effect on Egyptian workers because employers will employ one person for 1,200 EP and make him do the work of three people, instead of employing two for 600 EP each. Wages, like prices, should be left to supply and demand. In a free market, interfering in such things effects the market and creates problems.

Fourthly, opening the right to open newspapers and channels is not logical. You could ask for reassessing the requirements. But you cannot have everyone open whatever they want. We are having enough from the problems on blogs. I really wish there was more respect for the written word and what is more important is that who will be holding the microphone and what will they be brainwashing the people with

Fifth, if we cancel the national service in the police force, where will be get policemen from? The Congo, for instance?

Hany Masry responded:

لا غبار على ان هذه المطالب هى حق مشروع لكل الشعب المصرى لذا ارجو ان يتم توجيه مطلب واحد ليس الى النظام الذى فقد شرعيته بل الى كل العالم الحر ان يتم طرح هذه المطالب على الشعب عن طريق استفتاء شعبى مباشر تحت اشراف و رقابة كاملة من الامم المتحدة كالذى تم اجراءه بجنوب السودان بذلك نثبت لكل العالم انن بحق دعاة ديموقراطية و توجيه صفعة قوية لكل من يقول باننا شعب غير ناضج و انن لسنا مؤهلين لممارسة الديموقراطية
There is no problem with these demands. They are a legitimate right for all the Egyptian people. I hope you would take one demand, not only to the regime which has lost its legitimacy, but to the free world, and offer this demand to the people through a public referendum, under the supervision of the United Nations, just like what has happened in South Sudan. This way we will prove that we are really calling for democracy and smack everyone who says we are not mature people and ready for democracy in the face.

And Osiris added:

I'm sorry, but these demands are going to be used against you to show that you guys are not serious. And this is coming from a guy who's 1,000,000% on your side.

First of all, let's realize that although hugely corrupt the government is smart and was able to win over some people, so when we draft our demands we need to keep in mind the misinformation the government has been using against us and show the open minded that they're wrong.

1- If we want Mubarak to resign we have to work within the confines of the constitution that we currently have now and have Fathy Suroor be president (worse than Mubarak). So instead we should say: Mubarak must “temporarily” leave office “for health reasons”.

3- Some people might read that as either dismantling the police force, and others will say “so that El-Ekhwan and AlQaeda can attack us.” So we need to clarify that

5- I am no legal scholar, but legally speaking if this happens who is authorized to rewrite the constitution? Again, we need some grown-up demands here. Something that can actually be met and work in our advantage and not against us.

8- Wow, I didn't even know such a force existed. Talk about a police state.

Now for the transitional period demands:

1- Again, how do we go about doing that? Does the VP have the authority to just write a new constitution? Who do we want to come up with the new constitution? Again, let's get real and practical. Who should choose the ppl to rewrite the constitution?

3- I don't know if I understand this right (r u asking to set the minimum rent amount to 1200?) but what does this have to do with democracy?

Other reactions to the post include a suggestion to start collecting signatures from the square for the demands, and investigating the wealth of corrupt public servants, and demanding the return of their wealth.

The list of demands are signed by Bloggers from Egypt.

This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.

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