Tahrir Square of late has come to resemble an Egyptian version of the famed Speakers’ Corner in London’s Hyde Park; the difference being, perhaps, that it is ringed with barricades of barbed wire and those gathered here are actually somewhat relevant to their country’s future. Ever-multiplying platforms are scattered around a central encampment where speakers take to the podiums to espouse their political ideas and demands. But, unlike the days of the revolution when the masses gathered at Tahrir with one booming voice to chant the clear and simple demand for the regime to fall, the political demands and aspirations of protesters today range from Islamism to socialism and beyond, and when one stops and attempts to listen, the voices of the pontificates seem to blend into an earnest white noise, with nary two among them expounding a complementary vision for a direction forward. Egypt’s “second revolution”, as the protesters
Josh Wood is a journalist based in Boston. He was previously based in Beirut, where he was a correspondent for The National. His work focuses on refugees, US foreign policy and conflicts in the Middle East.
