Cairo’s Roundabout Revolution
It has become fashionable to refer to the 18-day Egyptian uprising as the “Facebook revolution”, much to the dismay of the protesters who riveted the world with their bravery in Cairo’s Tahrir Square. But revolutions do not happen in cyberspace, even if they start there. What happened in Tahrir Square during the revolution and the protests happening there now show that even in the 21st century, public space remains the most important arena for dissent and social change.
Tahrir Square’s rise to prominence is a testament to how place and history can come together unexpectedly. Although its Arabic name means “liberation”, and although it is one of the oldest squares in modern Cairo, Tahrir never carried much meaning for Cairenes until recently.… Seguir leyendo »