Cairo's Day Of Rage Remembered

Five years ago today during the Egyptian Revolution's 'Day of Rage' nearly 400 civilians were killed and over 5,000 injured as pitched battles with the hated police rose to such a bloody pitch that by the end of the day the black-uniformed force was withdrawn from the streets. They couldn't face down a million enraged uprisers who stormed across bridges, burned down police stations and government-party HQs including the one adjacent to the Egytpian Museum.

It was the most brutal day of the revolution and produced a half-hearted response the next day from President Mubarak who undertook to refrom his government. It was never going to be enough and the coalition of workers, intellectuals and globally-aware youths - just like the one in today's shot with Tahrir behind - fought on for another 15 days until Mubarak resigned.

Today, the Kasr El-Nil bridge that I drove across en route to Tahrir Square was its usual traffic-congested self, unlike the scene shown in my blip two days ago when it was mobbed with people intent on bringing down Mubarak's despotic regime. I got off in Talaat Harb Street and walked round the iconic square spotting some balaclava-ed policemen with machine guns and several senior officers with mounds of scrambled eggs on their cap brims.

I climbed to the eighth floor of a building overlooking the square from which I had previously shot the iconic place but this time the people in the accountant's office who had been so accommodating four years ago refused to let me in to take advantage of their balcony's viewpoint. How times have changed.

Those who have followed my journal during the last few days will be aware that no-one yet knows whether the desires - for bread, freedom and social justice - that fueled the rage five years ago will be satisfied anytime soon.

Posted from Café Riche as a witnessing of the efforts of those who fell that day.