Tahrir Square Shines Bright and the Egyptian Military Ought to Heed their Call

Egyptian Prime Minister Essam Sharaf has acted quickly to respond to the protests mounted Friday in Tahrir Square demanding faster reform, an end to violence and the removal of Cairo’s head of security. They also called for the freeing of protesters arrested during recent marches.The protests, which seem to be led by a group called the January 25 Coalition, named after the date on which the Egyptian insurgency began, have grown larger in scale these past weeks, with some violent clashes. At the July 2^nd rally, armed gunmen attacked protesters.

Sharaf has ordered the arrest of any police who killed protesters during the January-February protests that toppled the Mubarak regime. He also promised to pay compensation to the families of those killed.

In this attempt to appease the protesters, Sharaf also said he would work closely with them in arresting and trying other police accused of killing protesters. In addition, the prime minister said he would order an end to the military trial of civilians. 

The Egyptian interim government has been led by the military, which has already sentenced to death a policeman who killed 28 protesters in the January confrontations.  They have set August 3^rd as the date for the beginning of Mubarak’s trial. They have called parliamentary elections for September, but there is some concern that this is too early and that it would be better to wait until the new constitution is drafted and approved. This would also give the newly formed secular democratic groups time to catch up with the Muslim Brotherhood’s already significant political presence and resources.

The Tahrir Square protesters seemed unimpressed with the prime minister’s remarks, comparing them to the vague statements made by Mubarak earlier. They are continuing to occupy Tahrir Square to re-enforce their demands. Their general complaint is that six months after the revolution, it seems as if no revolution ever took place.

Supreme Court Louis Brandeis, one of America’s finest legal scholars, said “… government... teaches the whole people by its example. If the government becomes the lawbreaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy.”

If Justice Brandeis is right, and there is no reason to doubt him based on history, then those in Egypt trying to hold on to power or to delay the implementation of the people’s will are playing with fire.

So far, the protesters, who are really many groups with many ideals, but all of whom want more self-government, have been remarkably peaceful and patient. The Egyptian military, which helped the protesters win the day, ought to move quickly and decisively to ensure that Egypt’s revolution is an Arab Spring shining with hope and justice, and not a nightmare of confrontation and blood.