The army’s actions in the coming days will be vital. The majority of people see the army as a friend—"The Egyptian people and the Egyptian army are one hand" is a popular slogan.
"I was in Alexandria meeting some comrades on Monday of last week. I was followed by plain-clothes police who questioned the café owners about me, saying I was not from there.
The Egyptian revolution is in progress. It is a momentous event. The protests have the potential not just to bring down a dictator, but to transform the balance of power between the rich and poor across the globe.
US president Barack Obama said on Friday, "The people of Egypt have rights that are universal. That includes the right to peaceful assembly and association, the right to free speech, and the ability to determine their own destiny. These are human rights. And the United States will stand up for them everywhere."
In both London and Manchester student marches have diverged from their planned routes—one march has gone to join protesters outside the Egyptian embassy, while a breakaway from the other has occupied a branch of Barclays bank.
They said they would be there, and they were. The 25 January was declared a "Day of Anger" by democratic and socialist forces a week beforehand. The significance of the choice of date cannot be overestimated—it is "Police Day— an occasion when the regime incessantly drums up the virtues of its patriotic police force.
