By Safaa Abdoun
CAIRO: While protesters continue to occupy Cairo’s main square, normalcy is starting to return to the city with companies, stores and restaurants resuming activity.
However, some view this normalcy as cause for concern, fearing it might drown out the protesters’ calls in Tahrir Square.
“Life getting back to normal and people going back to work make it seem as if those going and staying in Tahrir Square are going to a gathering in Hyde Park so we are currently discussing how to escalate matters further,” said Ahmed Maher, head of the April 6 Youth Movement.
“The people in Tahrir include students as well as employees and people supporting families and have children, we too are losing everyday but we can’t back out now,” explained Maher. “It’s a matter of days and we will succeed and make up for all the losses,” he added.
On the other hand, political analyst Emad Gad from Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, disagreed.
Gad maintained that life getting back to normal is “not overshadowing the demonstrations and the pursuit of rights” that is taking place at Tahrir Square.
“The whole argument that the demonstrations are putting life on hold and causing major losses is a scheme by the regime to breakup what is taking place there, but these young people are sitting in the heart of the capital so there is no way they will be overshadowed,” he explained.
“Even if some of the demonstrators have gone back to work, they return to Tahrir afterwards and they are organizing marches that will bring together millions because what they are asking for has not been met,” Gad continued.
“Although some of the demands have been met, there are crucial points
missing and they are afraid that if they leave all their efforts will be lost,” he said.
With protesters keeping morale high with different forms of entertainment, rendering the protests to be likened to a carnival, Gad said it is the regime who wants to portray this to the people outside, if anything this is showing unity and solidarity of people from all walks of life.
Normalcy returned to the capital Sunday, emphasized by the traffic, with streets congested mostly due to detours imposed by tanks blocking the streets.
Fast food chains have also resumed operations on Sunday. “All operation is resuming naturally, picking up where we left of a week ago,” said Mahmoud, who works at McDonald’s in Heliopolis.
On Sunday, the branch was buzzing with activity and packed with people. “But of course we are bound by the curfew, so we take our last order at 4:30 pm to have time to finish up and get home on time,” he explained.
However, an official statement is yet to be made regarding schools and universities which were shut down due to the unrest.
The American University in Cairo on its part released a statement saying that it resumed most of its administrative functions, and anticipates that classes for undergraduate students will start on February 13, and for graduates on February 20. However, all public events at AUC’s New Cairo and Tahrir Square campuses are canceled until further notice.
