Whodunnit

According to some activist eye witnesses, the martyrs’ families were told that a tribute was going to be held for them at the Ballon Theater. There, the martyrs’ families realized it was an ambush, as a group of thugs had infiltrated them. They clashed with the police, who arrested seven of the martyrs' families, including the mother of one martyr, an old woman.

Then the martyrs’ families went to the Ministry of Interior in protest, were they were heavily set upon with tear grenades. Some withdrew to Tahrir Square, and the news was quickly reported to the protesters who immediately moved towards the Square. By then, security forces had already reached the Square and set siege to it with intensive tear gas grenades, provoking the protesters to respond.

It is certainly confusing that there are too many different stories. But the constant running through all accounts is that the police used absolutely unjustified violence against the protesters, even if these were using violence themselves. Violence always produces more violence.

There has also been talk about the involvement of the National Security in initiating these events, particularly since the National Security still includes in its ranks many of the former regime’s infamous officers. To be precise, only last Friday the pro-Mubarak people were protesting by Mustafa Mahmoud Mosque and cut off the road, clashing with the passing cars. We did not see a single tear gas grenade fired at them, although they numbered a thousand. In contrast, early on the protesters at Tahrir Square did not exceed two hundred.

The fact is that we must be able to justify and defend the martyrs’ families, even if they used unacceptable violence. What do you expect from those whose sons were killed, when they see the police officer accused of the deed practicing his job normally, as if nothing happened. At times he does not even attend his own trial, although the law demands the accused be present at the criminal court.

Well... perhaps the martyr’s father might overlook all this. But what if he found out that this police officer was promoted as well!
As if he was being rewarded for killing people during the revolution. What would the father of the young man, who was shot by Al-Adly’s snipers, think, when he sees the police surrounding Al-Adly’s cage to prevent him from being photographed or humiliated?

Will this man trust the police?

Can you blame him for expressing what he feels violently in response to police beating, while he was practicing his most basic right – to express his anger in protest?

It seems these police officers were fortunate that the ones they killed were not from Upper Egypt. Otherwise they would all have been dead bodies by now. The Upper Egyptians do not wait for trials to avenge their children.

Some may say, the events of June 28 occurred in reaction to the military court’s decision to dissolve local councils, especially, as these were the last outstretched arm of the National Party. However, I don’t think so at all. The witnesses have confirmed that the harassment of the martyrs’ families was linked with the police. And those who claim that the protesters are thugs are the karate teams of the Ministry of Interior, dressed in civilian clothes.

Perhaps the fact that protesters were throwing stones at the Ministry of Interior did justify a response from the police forces. I spoke to a police officer who told me his men were defending themselves against stones and Molotov cocktails.

Now I cannot stop thinking about the malicious comment, which the two thinkers Hekal and Azmi Bishara made about the second French Revolution of 1848, when the French truly felt the failure of their first revolution of sixty years earlier.

In light of today’s highly developed internet communication, those sixty years could translate into only six months in Egypt. Unless the current government starts taking the necessary steps to let the people feel that their first revolution did, actually, work.

Ahmed Arafa is 33 years old and lives in Cairo. When he's not working as a business developer, he writes novels - and is politically active.