Egypt: Mohamed Mahmoud Won’t Be Forgotten · Global Voices
Rayna St.

Back in November 2011, violent clashes erupted in Mohamed Mahmoud Street, in downtown Cairo. The violence took place outside the Interior Ministry headquarters, as Egypt was preparing for its first parliamentary elections after Hosni Mubarak stepped down and while the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) ruled the country. The clashes ended with tens of deaths and thousands injured. The 2012 commemoration occurred under now-deposed Muslim Brotherhood backed president Mohamed Morsi, and was marked by other clashes. This year's anniversary is set to unfold in a tense situation as both military and Muslim Brotherhood supporters have announced marches today [19 November 2013].
In order to avoid possible violent encounters with either pro-army or pro-Muslim Brotherhood rallies and to distance themselves from groups pursuing own political agendas, individuals organized a march yesterday [18 November 2013]. The decision was taken for those who identify with neither of the opposing factions to march at 5pm Cairo time from Mohamed Street to one of the martyr's home in nearby Abdeen Palace. In the early evening, more than a thousand were marching in Cairo's iconic Tahrir Square.
There are many reasons why protesters are unwilling to join marches with pro-military and Muslim Brotherhood figures and supporters. Blogger Zeinobia reminds us of one of them:
I did not forget what the MB politicians and opportunists did back then, I did not forget either what the media, honorable citizens, SCAF and Police used to said and do !! Yes what they did !!
Under now-deposed president Morsi's rule, the first anniversary of the Mohamed Mahmoud clashes left three dead adding to more than 45 martyrs from 2011.
Zeinobia's reminder is echoed by Twitter user Maher Hamoud, who recalls reactions from Muslim Brotherhood officials calling the protesters under attack ‘thugs’:
“Ta3rees: being pimp” is an Egyptian term foreigers should learn following #MohamedMahmoud anniversary, where murderers commemorate victims
— Maher Hamoud (@MaherHamoud1) November 18, 2013
The rally was thus a genuine remembrance of friends, relatives and all those who have lost their lives in clashes – with both the police and military:
“Down with all traitors” @cliffcheney يسقط من خان about to be set on fire. Being soaked in oil or something #Egypt pic.twitter.com/1uWVbJieAA
— R (@MaliciaRogue) November 18, 2013
The entrance of Mohamed Mahmoud had the very explicit banner, reading “Revolutionaries only: entry prohibited for Muslim Brotherhood, Army and Felool” (‘felool’ are the remnants of Mubarak's era):
Banner at the entry of Mohamed Mahmoud Street, 18 Nov 2013. Image by @justicentric, used with permission.
Many vividly remember the uncontrolled violence then-ruling Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF) unleashed on protesters:
#MohamedMahmoud Mohamed Mahmoud…Never going to forget your crimes #SCAF.
— #MohamedMahmoud (@TheFlyingRebels) November 18, 2013
Amro Ali digs up tweets from 2011:
(Tweet from Nov 2011): “You should go home, so when we die you guys can build the country – you're the educated ones,” #Egypt‘ian in #Tahrir
— Amro Ali (@_amroali) November 18, 2013
(Tweet Nov 2011) #Egypt “The only country where youth aren't afraid to die, but are afraid to tell their parents they're going to Tahrir.”
— Amro Ali (@_amroali) November 18, 2013
(2011) @mohabdelhamid Protesters r writing their parents phone #s on their bodies so that they wld be contacted if they were killed. #Tahrir
— Amro Ali (@_amroali) November 18, 2013
widely circulated image during #MohamedMahmoud was this protestor rescuing an old man away from the tear gas. #Egypt pic.twitter.com/FZdus1CRSo
— Amro Ali (@_amroali) November 18, 2013
A defining moment during #MohamedMahmoud was this old man standing confidently before the security forces. #Egypt pic.twitter.com/sXcAuA6Os7
— Amro Ali (@_amroali) November 18, 2013
The Mohamed Mahmoud clashes (video, Ar) are (un)famous with the use of allegedly stronger-than-usual tear gaz which caused epileptic fails, coughing blood and collapsing in multiple cases. Amro Ali recalls:
A popular Joke at #MohamedMahmoud: “New slogan at Tahrir: the people demand the return of the old tear gas!!” – (Nov 2011)
— Amro Ali (@_amroali) November 18, 2013
More #MohamedMahmoud jokes: “Tear gas certainly clears the smokers lung”, “Bring back a tear gas canister from Tahrir & get a free shisha!”
— Amro Ali (@_amroali) November 18, 2013
Another feature of these shocking times was the ferocity of the army and police: noticeably, eye snipers came to the forefront leaving many injured or blind. In turn, a number of monuments, including iconic Um Kolthoum statue in Cairo and various Graeco-Roman statues in the coastal city of Alexandria, wore eye patches. Dr. Ahmed Harara is a particularly iconic figure of this targetted violence: Harara lost one eye on 28 January 2011 and was known around Tahrir Square for wearing an eye patch which carried that date; the Mohamed Mahmoud clashes and eye snipers claimed Harara's second eye:
I will never forget when activists tweeted that Harara has lost his 2nd eye. I felt as if #Egypt‘s revolution has gone dark #MohamedMahmoud
— Nervana Mahmoud (@Nervana_1) November 18, 2013
Two years after, he was present at the rally calling for a complete reform of the police:
Dr. Ahmed Harara now on #Abdeen Stage pic.twitter.com/8vETpLaQlW @Sharkorlando #MohamedMahmoud http://t.co/U0zJon8Mi1
— Ana Mubasher (@Ana_Mubasher) November 18, 2013
Others having lost their sight also remember:
Reda Abdelaziz, shot in eye on #MohamedMahmoud while trying to pick up body of a friend, he's now completely blind. pic.twitter.com/VfqJ0102Gn
— Kristen McTighe (@KristenMcTighe) November 18, 2013
Abdelaziz, who was 19 years old when he was shot, said last thing he saw was the police officers face who shot him. #Egypt #MohamedMahmoud
— Kristen McTighe (@KristenMcTighe) November 18, 2013
Egyptian independent collective Mosireen released a powerful video juxtaposing then-spokesperson of the Ministry of Interior speech calling “for the glory of the martyrs” while police and army were beating and killing protestors prior to dragging their dead bodies into trash:
The video was screened during the 18 November rally gathering explicit reactions:
Video by @mosireen played with MOI statement spliced with footage of police killing protesters. Crowd responds: pic.twitter.com/bWlzyrjC5F
— Sharif Kouddous (@sharifkouddous) November 18, 2013
Mosireen's video, entitled ‘Never Forget. Always Remember’ is especially important as doublespeak continues: in a statement released on 16 November 2013 (Ar), the Ministry of Interior prepares the commemoration of Mohamed Mahmoud blaming “third party” for deaths having occurred during the 2011 clashes and (now-deposed president) Morsi for deaths during the commemoration back in 2012. The CIA and NGO Freedom House are also among the guilty, and the Ministry of Interior keeps on presenting itself as the people's “first protector” keeping “a watchful eye [on] this country and [on] its citizens.”
The violence has produced an incredible amount of street art, now forever disappeared but captured by Ahram Online's photographer Mai Shaheen. New graffitis have found a place to live and blossom for this year's anniversary.
Motorbikes — improvised ambulances back in 2011 — mark their glorious return: independent videojournalist Simon Hanna released an incredible video (Ar, En subtitles) where he speaks to car electrician Ezzat Hamed who had to close his shop on Mohamed Mahmoud Street due to clashes, and who “began building models from scrap metal, spent tear gas canisters and bullet cartridges”:
A Memorial built in Tahrir Square caught the attention: the monument, claimed to be a memorial for the martyrs having died during the Revolution, was built up by the army and inaugurated on 18 November 2013. Many saw this as offense, and decried it as a masquerade of justice as ‘no transitional justice starts by building a memorial’.
#Tahrir Finalized Monument pic.twitter.com/v6Pjh5PB8E
— Quick SoTic (@kikhote) November 18, 2013
Hours after the Memorial was inaugurated, it was first defaced and then protesters started (Ar) attempts to destroy it (video, Ar):
‘Down with all traitors: army, old regime (Mubarak's) and the Brotherhood’ written on Tahrir's memorial. #Egypt pic.twitter.com/dLlj2rfquw
— Galal (@GalalAmrG) November 18, 2013
Egypt braces for an even tenser week: activists have already been arrested for distributing flyers calling for an anniversary rally. November 19 is not just the first day of the week-long 2011 clashes but also marks today's army strongman, General El-Sissi's birthday. Later this week, Cairo will also host the Ghana vs. Egypt football game and the Constitutional Committee will finish voting on the new constitiution's draft.