"Now, it's gonna be a long one" – some first conclusions from the Egyptian revolution
Anthropologist Samuli Schielke was present at the protest on Tahrir Square and maintained a diary. In this blogpost he offers some pre-liminary conclusions based upon his experiences, observations and talks. Schielke makes clear that the protests have a strikingly festive aspect. It is not just a protest against an oppressive regime and a demand for freedom. In itself, it is freedom. It is a real, actual, lived moment of the freedom and dignity that the pro-democracy movement demand. A revolution however also requires persistence.