(I stayed up to watch Mubarak’s live telecast at about 5 am Malaysian time, expecting to see a peaceful Egyptian Revolution on-the-make but Mubarak’s speech and demeanour filled me with great sadness with the premonition that a tragedy is to befall the great Egyptian people. Kit)
The Malaysian Insider Feb 11, 2011
CAIRO, Feb 11 — Joy turned to despair and then anger in Cairo’s Tahrir Square yesterday when President Hosni Mubarak’s dashed the hopes of hundreds of thousands of Egyptian protesters demanding his resignation.
The huge crowed squeezed into the square danced, sang, chanted and waved a sea of red, white and black Egyptian flags as a sense of expectation mounted through the afternoon that Mubarak would meet their demands to give up power.
“Tonight he leaves, tonight he leaves,” sang some, their confidence growing steadily through the afternoon as news reports suggested Mubarak would step down.
Rumours were rife. Some said he would leave to Germany, others were confident he would go to the United Arab Emirates.
Protest organisers painted Egyptian flags on the faces of those arriving. Tahrir Square seemed to be hosting a carnival more than a protest.
As usual, Egyptians of all walks of life and political persuasions rubbed shoulders, from bearded Islamists to secular leftists, liberals and entire families on a day out.
One girl, sitting atop her father’s shoulders, had the word “leave” written on her forehead, echoing the demand that has drawn ever larger crowds to Tahrir Square this week. As Mubarak was about to speak, protesters said they were about to witness history. “Sit, sit, sit,” chanted some.
Thousands responded, sitting on the ground in a scene that reflected the spirit of cooperation in the protest camp.
On the projector screen ahead of them, the appearance of the 82-year-old president prompted calls for quiet. Again, the crowd cooperated, a blanket of silence falling over the square.
SHOES
Under a clear night sky and a half moon, soldiers standing atop tanks and armoured vehicles were paying as much attention as anyone. Some smoked cigarettes as the president began talking.
Within less than a minute, the crowds’ joy had given way to despair. One man bowed his head as it became clear Mubarak intended to stay on.
Some took off their shoes, waving the soles at the screen. Others wagged their fingers disapprovingly or gave Mubarak the thumbs-down. Some wept.
Half-way through the speech, the protesters’ patience appeared to wear out. They stood up, chanting: “Leave, leave, leave.”
“He doesn’t want to understand. The people don’t want him in power,” said Hesham al-Bulak, 23. “He is holding onto power in a way that is utterly bizarre.”
Some demonstrators left right away, while others stayed where they were, chanting slogans into the night.
Addressing protesters as they left, one organiser, his eyes welling up with tears, shouted: “Don’t despair, don’t despair”. “There is no despair,” replied one protester. “There is not despair and there is no surrender.” — Reuters