Today was the second day of political protests in downtown Cairo against Israel's bloody intervention on the Freedom Flotilla.
Amidst the dazzling heat a few hundred protesters gathered, surrounded by a few hundred security forces. The heat failed to defer the crowd.
People waved posters of Nasser, and other posters emerged, hailing "Down with Mubarak." Egyptian opposition party Kifaya maintained a presence throughout the protest, circulating stickers bearing their slogans, and chants of "Kifaya" ('enough') sounded throughout the demonstration.
This seems to confirm the trend that has developed over the last few years, in which a protest for any cause devolves into a political rally against the regime. Labor protests, rallies regarding regional issues, and anti-American movements that materialize publicly often build momentum and become a platform for protesting Mubarak's government. "Down With Mubarak" written in big letters is a new phenomenon in Egyptian streets, being something unthinkable only some years ago.
Funny enough, many of the security forces present at the protest seemed quite interested in the demonstration. Under the blazing sun people shared their water bottles, and some of the protesters shared theirs with the security guards. The guards, when asked, were happy to confess that Nasser was better than Mubarak!
Maybe the political climate in Egypt is really changing? And it's only going to grow more stormy with the upcoming presidential elections.
