2011 | Cairo

To the Barricades

Tweeting a revolution.

Mahmoud Salem @Sandmonkey

For when and where the revolution will be and other important info, go here: http://bit.ly/Jan25egypt

09:51:18 p.m. Jan 24

Hossam @3arabawy

streets r empty. Police r everywhere. #jan25

09:27:57 a.m. Jan 25

Adam Makary @adamakary

#jan25 protester’s demands: increase in minimum wage, dismissal of interior ministry, removal of emergency law, shorten presidential term

10:15:08 a.m. Jan 25

Manar Mohsen @ManarMohsen

Those tweeting about the protest in Egypt, please use the hashtag #Jan25 in order to spread any information.

10:54:41 a.m. Jan 25

Sarahngb @Sarahngb

Tahrir square looks scary. Cordons, policemen, fire trucks, CS trucks. #Jan25

11:38:28 a.m. Jan 25

Mahmoud Salem @Sandmonkey

Security tried to storm protesters. Failed. Regrouping. #jan25

01:33:38 p.m. Jan 25

Adam Makary @adamakary

Ppl are stomping their feet, imitating sounds from a boot camp, now ppl stop for the call to prayer #jan25

03:06:15 p.m. Jan 25

Mahmoud Salem @Sandmonkey

Police officer speaking on cellphone: “eiwa ya basha, the gas is on the way.” Teargas is coming. #jan25

03:50:49 p.m. Jan 25

Nora Shalaby @norashalaby

Tear gas!!

03:58:37 p.m. Jan 25

Mo-ha-med @TravellerW

Police throws rocks @ demonsrtrs while we raised our arms. We’re unarmed, they’re in full gear. We are strong, they’re weak. #25jan #Egypt

04:27:33 p.m. Jan 25

Wael Ghonim @Ghonim

Everyone come to Tahrir now we need you we are no less than 10,000 and no more police #JAN25

04:42:32 p.m. Jan 25

Sarahngb @Sarahngb

amazing sight as masses were coming from every direction towards tahrir square. It’s the demo’s meeting point. Amazing #jan25

06:42:47 p.m. Jan 25

Wael Ghonim @Ghonim

Now in Tahrir situation is out of control. Prevented 2 angry guys from throwing a huge metal on police cars from top of the bridge! #Jan25

01:36:48 a.m. Jan 26

Nora Shalaby @norashalaby

Those protesters that have remained in the streets despite the lastest police
brutality against us are really really
brave #jan25

02:47:44 a.m. Jan 26

Mo-ha-med @TravellerW

Exhausted. Will catch a few hours of sleep. Good morning, Egypt. #25jan

07:17:28 a.m. Jan 26

Excerpted from Tweets from Tahrir: Egypt’s Revolution as it Unfolded, In the Words of the People Who Made It, co-edited by Alex Nunns and Nadia Idle (OR Books)

About This Text

From Tweets from Tahrir. The Tunisian demonstrations in December, following a twenty-six-year-old street vendor’s self-immolation in protest of his treatment by officials, have been taken as the starting point of the Arab Spring. After the president of Tunisia, Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, was forced to cede power and flee in mid-January, large-scale demonstrations began in Egypt, eventually ousting its president, Hosni Mubarak, in mid-February. Twitter was utilized by protestors in both countries.