Photo: Al Jazeera Cairo — If the life sentences for former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak and one of his key allies were meant to placate Egyptians, they have had the opposite effect.
Shortly after the verdict, tens of thousands of Egyptians from across the politcal spectrum, with perhaps the exception of die-hard Mubarak supporters and supporters of presidential candidate and former Mubarak cabinet member Ahmed Shafik, filled the streets of Egyptian cities to voice their anger at the verdicts.
Northern cairo criminal court Judge Ahmed Refaat convicted Mubarak and Habib Al-Adly, the former head of Egypt's interior ministry (MOI) merely of "failing to stop the killings." Many Egyptians believe Mubarak and Al-Adly together with the state's security services, were responsible for the killing of hundreds of protestors and the torture and detention of thousands more political detainees.
Senior members of the MOI, and commanders of the riot police who were seen firing on protestors from the tops of buildings surrounding Tahrir Square, were acquitted.
"We know that Mubarak and Al-Adly were not on the rooftops firing at protestors, yet somehow nobody is to blame for the shootings and killings despite forensic medical reports, witnesses, video footage and security log book evidence," protest organiser Tarek El Halaby told IPS.
Within minutes of Saturday morning's verdicts, clashes between protestors and riot police broke out near the court. Hundreds of Egyptians began filling downtown Cairo'sTahrir Square spontaneously, despite the blistering heat of the midday sun. By nightfall those hundreds had swelled into tens of thousands of chanting protestors, a scene repeated in cities and towns around Egypt.
This was the biggest turnout of protestors since the revolution. In scenes reminiscent of those heady and eventful days, young men began barricading Tahrir Square. All pedestrians who entered were searched and forced to show ID proof by revolutionary volunteers.
Protestors formed a human chain around Tahrir with secularists, Islamists, revolutionaries, football fans, Coptic Christians, young and old uniting in a show of solidarity. Many women were among the protesters.
The protests continued throughout the night, with hundreds settling in for what many see as a long battle ahead. Sunday morning traffic was again blocked by barricades as waves of protestors returned following a call by the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) to its well organised supporters to take to the streets.
The mood on the streets is one of anger but also of defiance and determination, with the realisation that the revolution Egyptians have fought so hard for, and many have died for, could be slipping away.
"If we can keep this momentum until Jun. 6, and focus our message, we might succeed in getting Shafik disqualified. Step one," said protestor Yasmine El-Rashidi.
This attitude of defiance is being echoed by other protestors who have called for a complete boycott of the run-off election due in mid-June. "The overwhelming majority of the Egyptian population will not take part in the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces' (SCAF) elections. Join us and boycott this farce," twittered activist Tarek Shalaby.
Another activist, Mahmoud Salem, expressed disappointment over the revolution's shortcomings and the inability of some revolutionaries to see through the game of the military to cling to power.
El-Halaby who lost several of his friends in a protest outside Abbasiya military headquarters in Cairo last month sees a bloody road ahead. Eleven people were killed in that protest. Several had their throats slit and others were gunned down by unidentified assailants believed to be associated with the military.
"We know the former regime will not give up without a bloody fight and we expect more bloodshed in the future. We know are prepared for this because we know our freedom will not come easily," El-Halaby told IPS.
The explosive situation in the street and anger of the protestors is expected to escalate when an appeal by Mubarak and Al-Adly's lawyers against their life sentences is filed. Many Egyptians, including lawyers for those killed in Tahrir last year as well as Mubarak and Adly's lawyers believe the appeal will be successful.
But despite events signalling that Egypt's revolution is far from over, Egyptians haven't lost their sense of humour. A current joke circulating in Tahrir Square is that Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad would happily give up power if he could be tried in an Egyptian court.
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"wa SALAM ALUKUM" BROTHERS AN SISTERS ", MAY "ALLAH THE MERCIFULL THE ALL SEEING THE MOST COMOASSIONATE THE DIVINE" PROTECT YOU WITH HIS MIGHTY HAND" THE EGYTPTIAN REVOLUTION WAS HARD FOUGHT BUT NOT WON .THERE IS NO WINNING ,WHEN IT IS LIKE THE EARTH IT REVOLVES, SO IT IS WITH LIFE ,AS WE EVOLVE."FEAR NOT BUT BE VIGILANT ", I SAY TO MY MY REVOLUTIONARY BROTHERS WHOM SHOULD HAVE APPROACHED THIS PAST ELECTION WITH A UNITED NUMBER OF CANDIDATES RUNNING OR ALLIED WITH ESTABLISHED PARTIES; THAT ACKNOWLEDGED THE CONCEPT OF THE REVOLUTION. THE BIGGETS CONCEPT WAS THERE WOULD BE NO BIAS OR SPERATISM THE REVOLUTIONWAS PROTECTED AND REACHED IT APEX WITH UNIFIFCATION CHRISTIAN SUNNI SLAFIST SHIA ALIKE THIS WAS A NONDENOMINATIONAL ALLAINCE THAT SAUGHT TO BRING UNITY PEACE LOVE AND THE ABOLITION OF OPPRESSION"!!!!! FIRST OF ALL DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT WAS YOUR CONCERN DURING THE REVOLUTION IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT MUBARAK WAS DISLOYAL, A TRAITOR , ESPIONAGER ,DISSENTER ,TORTURER, KIDNAPPER, OPPRESSOR ,SUPPRESSOR ,MURDERER.WHEN IT CAME TO EGYPT HIS ONLY INTEREST WAS TO MAINTAIN HIS POWER WHICH HE DID WITH ALARMING ALACRITY" HE SERVED HIS WESTERN MASTERS WELL!!!HE PUT IN PLACE A GANG OF THUGS WHO CARED NOT FOR EGYPTIANS THIER ONLY DERSIRE WAS WEALTH MORE WEALTH MILITARY POWER. THEY CONSPIRED TO ATTAIN THESE GREAT MILITARY STRENGTHS NOT FOR PROTECTION OR OUTSIDE AGGRESSION BUT TO MAINTAIN A DARK DEEP STRANGLE HOLD OVER THE EGYPTIAN PEOPLE. "EGYPTIANS WERE ABLE TO BREAK THIS VICIOUS CYCLE AND DISCONNECT THE HEAD OF THE SNAKE; WHAT REMAINED WAS ITS BODY WHICH ALSO NEEDS TO BE TOTALY BURNED DISFIGURED AND CAN NO LONGER FUNCTION"."REMEMBER THE MILITARY WAS PART AN PARCEL OF THE BODY THEY WERE OVERCOME AN OVERAWWED WITH THE SPEED AND SWIFT TIDE IN HOW THE MUBARAK EMPIRE CAME TUMBLING DOWN.WHAT WAS FORGOTTEN THAT NONE OF THESE THINGS COULD HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE GUIDING HAND OF ""ALLAH THE MERCIFUL THE BENEIFICIENT THE MIGHTY THE OMNIPRESENT THE OMNIPOTENT THE WIZE THE SEER THE KNMOWER"" THIS SUCCESS HAS NOT BEEN GIVEN TO "THE GREAT GLORY OF THE "ALL MIGHTY GOD"THE PEOPLE WENT TO THIER POLLS IN THEIR DROVES, THEY ELECTED CAREFULLY PEOPLE THEY FELT HAVE INTEGRITY AND ARE NOT DRIVEN BY THEIR CORRUPT AMBITIONS.HOWEVER AT A CERTAIN JUNCTURE THE PEOPLE BECAME UNSURE , "THEY ALSO KNOW THAT 'POWER CORRUPTS"."THE DELEMNA BEING FACED TODAY WAS AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN REMINDED WHEN THE DECISION WAS MADE TO GO TO TRIAL; WAS FORGOTTEN THE PEOPLE WERE OUT FOR REVENGE AND BLOOD. 'SO THE TRIAL WAS HASTILY CONVENED IT THEN BECAME A SENTIMENTAL CASE PREPARED BY A PROSECUTOR WHO, MOST PROBABLY HAS OR OWES ITS EMPOWERMENT TO MUBARAK OR THOSE FROM HIS (BODY)ERA. "MY PEOPLE!!! WHERE DID THIS GREAT DESIRE COME FROM TO SEEK BLOOD, THIS WAS NOT WHAT THE REVOLUTION WAS ABOUT."SALAAM" MY BROTHERS IS WHAT THIS WAS ABOUT THIS WAS WHY YOU TRIUMPHED" REMEMBER YOU REJECTED VIOLENCE CONCENTRATING ON FAITH BELIEF AND MOST OF ALL THE POWER OF THE MIND" YOU WERE ALLOWED TO RUSH AND HURRY TO SEEK REVNGE REVENGE IS NEVER GOOD IT DOES NOT HEAL. 'REVENGE BELONGS ONLY ,SURELY, TO "OUR LORD ". WHAT YOUR PRINCIPLE FUNCTION WAS TO DO I SUGGETED THAT EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD ELECTED SOME ONE WHO WOULD REPRESENT THAT AREA ;WHERE THEY WOULD SELECT FROM THIER OVERALL COUNCILS COUNCILS RULES RIGHTS DIRECTIVES ON WHAT WAS YOUR AIMS, DESIRES, ASPIRATION AND THE CHARGES THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN CORRECTLY BORUGHT AGAINST MUBARAK AND THOSE WHO WOULD SPEAK ON YOUR BEHALF. "I, REALISE THAT WAS NOT AN EASY TASK,IN RETROSPECT WHAT IS THERE NOW IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE LAWS THAT GOVERN ARE NOW WRITTEN IN WITH PERMANENT BUT FLEXIBLE CLAUSES THAT ONLY ENSHRINES "THE POWER OF THE PEOPLE".LAWS ARE CONTINUOUS AND CAN BECOME AMBIGUOUS BUT THE NEED FOR TRANSPARENT UNABIGUOUS WORDS OF LAWS THAT WILL KEEP THE NATION FOCUSED ON ITS PRIORITIES". WHAT I , ALSO WOULD LIKE TO SAY TO THE PEOPLE "SHARIA LAW" ARE NOT WHAT THE MEDIA OF THE WEST PROPOSES THEM TO BE. "IN THESE TIMES WE KNOW THAT SOME OF THOSE LAWS MIGHT NOT BE APPLICABLE TODAY WE MIGHT NOT WANT TO STONE SOME ONE TO DEATH ? WE MIGHT NOT ACCEPT SOME THINSG THAT WE FEEL ARE A BIT ARCHAIC AND BENEATH OUR MENTAL DIGNITY. HOWEVER "SHARIA IS VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE IN DIRECTING ONES SOCIAL CONSCIOUSNESS, IT IS VERY PROFOUND IN ESTABLISHING HONESTY AND RIGHTEOUSNESS. IT IS CRUEL AND KIND IN SAYING THAT TRANSGRESSORS SHOULD FEEL THE WEIGHT OF THEIR INDISCRETIONS DISRESPECT AND THEIR BREACH OF SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE HELD SACRED" THE WEST BECAUSE OF THIER SPIRITED CORRUTION ARE NOT INCLINED TO LIKE OR EVEN SOLICIT THE THOUGHT OF SOMETHING SO RESTRICTIVE, SO THEY THINK IS THERE A PROBLEM WITH HAVING A CLEAN HEART AND MIND? SOMETHING SO NATURAL; THEY DISMISS IT WITH DISDAIN LIES AND MISINFORMATION. "HOW COULD SOMETHING THAT PREVENTS DISHONESTY BREACH OF THE PEOPLES TRUST BE SOMETHING BAD? " THIS IS JUST FOOD FOR THOUGHT! WHAT TO ME MY BROTHERS, THAT IS IMPORTANT,IS THAT NO ONE ELSE IS ALLOWED TO SLIP THE NET AND EVIDENCE IS USED TO CONVICT THOSE WHO BETRAYED THE COUNTRY.THOSE WHO DISENTED INTO CONSPIRACY TO DEFRAUD EMBEZZLE SWINDLE AND BEQUITH THE INTERNAL POWER TO ANOTHER NATION OTHER THAN TO THE EGYPTIAN PEOPLE (TRAITORS)" THESE ACTS HAVE TO BE CAREFULLY CRAFTED SO THEY CAN CERTAINLY SHOW THE PEOPLE THAT THESE THINGS ARE NOT TOLERABLE" IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT CORRUPTION IS DESEEDED FROM EGYPTIAN CULTURE FULL STOP" HOW YOU DO THIS; MUST BE WITH THE ALLAINCE OF ALL THE PEOPLE THERE MUST BE A CONSTRUCTIVE CONSTITUTION THAT MANDATES THAT PRESIDENTS AND THOSE EMPOWERED TO MANIFEST THE RULES OF THE PEOPLE ARE HELD ACCOPUNTABLE AND SHOULD THEY UNDERMINE THE POWER OF THE PEOPLE ,BY ELECTING TO DISSENT AND CORRUPT THE IDEALS OF "THE REVOLUTION THESE AND THOSE PEOPLE SHOULD SURELY BE PUT TO DEATH" WHAT EVER TIME IS LEFT FOR THE PEOPLE TODAY IS NOT LATE FOR YOU TO SEEK COUNCIL WITH THE PREFERED CANDIDATE WHOM I SUSPECT WOULD NEVER EVER BE THE PAST PRIME MINISTER HE IS A CORRUPT PART OF THE BODY ,THE PAST 'AND IT IS INCREDIBLE THAT HE WAS ABLE TO REACH SO FAR. WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS THAT THE FOCUS IS NOT ON PERSONALITIES IT IS ON THE "POWER OF THE PEOPLE" THE PEOPLE ARE INSTRUMENTAL IN EVERY REVOLUTION" "IT IS THE PEOPLE WHO MAKES A REVOLUTION SUCCESSFUL IT IS THE PEOPLE WHO ARE THE ONES WHO ARE TRIUMPHANT. " " FEAR NOT OF EVILDORERS " THEY SHANT HAVE POWER IF THE PEOPLE STAND UNITED AND DEMAND THAT THE POWER OF GOVERNMENT IS CLEARLY THIERS". UNITE WITH THOSE WHO HOLD THE REVOLUTION DEAR TO THEIR HEARTS" WE KNOW FOR A FACT THE X PRIME MINISTER HAS NO LOVE FOR THE REVOLUTION."ALL MIGHTY ALLAH" IS "SEER AND KNOWER HE" BROUGHT THIS PESON TO THE FRONT TO REMIND YOU WHAT YOUR OBLIGATIONS ARE TO HIM AND THE PEOPLE" "" FORGET NOT THAT WERE NOT FOR"HE" THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO REVOLUTION". " YOUR GUIDING STAR" THE "ALL EMPOWERING". THE PEOPLE MUST BE ABSOLOUTE THAT THEY STAY TRUE TO THIS REVOLTUIION AND THIS MUST NOT BE SOEMTHING THAT GOES UNCHECKED; REVOLUTION IS SOMETHING THAT MUST BE UPDATED THIS WHY THE NECESARRY STOP GAPS AND REDUCTIONS OF POWER .THE PEOPLE MUST ALWAYS RETAIN THIS POWER" WE MUST LOOK AND STUDY ALL THE GREAT REVOLTUIONS ON THE PLANET AND WE MUST ADMINSITER TRUTH WIZE INTELLECT KNOWLEDGE SO WE WILL MEVER HAVE TO OVERTHROW ANOTHER OPPRRESOR""THE MIGHTY EGYPTIAN PEOPLE MUST BE ASTUTE AND ABOLISH ALL FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION ,BIAS ,PERSECUTION, HATE ,ENVY ,ISMS SCHISMS,JEALOUSY, SECTARIANISMS DEFAMATIONS ALL THINGS THAT LEADS TO THE GATES OF HELL. THESE THINSG ARE PROFOUND AND THEY ARE ALL PROHIBBITTED IN "THE SHARIA LAWS" MY BROTHERS USE THIS TIME WIZELY SEEK COUNCIL WITH "OUR LORD" FOR" HE IS KNOWER" LET YOUR CONSCIENCE BE YOUR GUIDE" WHEN WE ABSTAIN FROM ALL THE THINGS ABOVE YOU WILL BE GUIDED WITH A FIRM HAND; AS THE "HABBITATION OF YOUR HEARTS WILL BE EASILY ACCESSIBLE" SO BE WIZE AND FEAR NOT" "MAY PEACE AND BLESSINGS BE UPON THIS GREAT LAND"