By Safaa Abdoun
CAIRO: Following a five-day internet black out since what was dubbed “Friday of Anger” when tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets, Egyptians stormed Facebook with a vengeance, weighing in on current events that have become the subject of most discussion groups.
But unlike the situation before the internet was blocked, users’ status messages were against President Mubarak and his regime, opinion is now split between pro and anti regime supporters.
“EGYPTIANS your country is finally in your hands!!! Now let’s end the protests and start repairing. If anyone knows [people] still Tahrir, ask them to GO HOME. Six million [people] get a daily wage that they have not received in eight days, six million elderly [people] need to get their pensions, 20 million [people] below the poverty line before all this happened. Total losses estimate LE150 billion.”
Since massive protests broke out in Egypt on Jan. 25, the country has been on the brink of a complete standstill. The stock market shed over 10 percent and the Central Bank ordered all banks closed.
This opinion triggered more than 30 comments agreeing that its time to step back and think of the economy and the bigger picture. One group titled “Walk away from Tahrir Square” has so far attracted 30,042 members.
The group’s four creators believe that President Mubarak’s statement last Tuesday, when he pledged not to contest the next presidential elections, is a call for peace and that concessions were made and so it is time for people to go back to work or schools, and reassert normalcy instead of guarding the streets with knives and sticks, referring to neighborhood watches that have secured the streets in the absence of police.
“Who would have thought that all these changes would have been made from this revolution?? […] Let the president step down with dignity…let us go home and start BUILDING Egypt again after it has fallen dramatically!! […]You have proven that u cud unite and do a LOT of things together!! we picked up garbage off the streets and we organized traffic!!,” the group advocates.
Comments on the groups have included those who support President Mubarak, saying that we can’t forget the impact of the uprising on peace and foreign relations.
Others have expressed views against President Mubarak but believe in a peaceful transition of power following the September presidential elections. They think that since we’ve made changes, its time to focus on what’s best for the country.
While the group’s members agree that it’s time to walk away from Tahrir Square, some members suggest that we must find out who is responsible for the damage.
“Who said the people in Tahrir are the ones creating all the damage, we get searched tens of times before we enter, the ruling party is the one creating all the damage with their thugs and thieves,” said one member.
The opposite view holds that protesters must complete what they started on Jan. 25 and never stop until all demands are met, pointing out that security and financial damages are a small price to pay for the country’s freedom.
One status update reads, “Back to square one: They are scaring us again…. will you not think twice now before demonstrating?
More people are posting quotes from famous intellectuals to inspire people to continue the protests until the president steps down like “When injustice becomes law, to revolt becomes one’s duty” Albert Camus.
More than four thousand Facebook members have joined the group titled “Ahmed Kamal Aboul Magd and Sawiras initiative” supporting demands that President Mubarak delegate authority to Vice President Omar Soliman and remain president till September; the formation of a constitutional committee; the formation of an interim coalition government; the dissolution of parliament; holding elections and international supervision over the elections.
