Elections have exposed the fragility of Sisi’s rule and sent up warning signs of the dangerous path that will be pursued. Votes are being counted, and declaring Sisi the winner is just a formality. However, a tainted legitimacy will haunt him.
By replacing the cement block with gates, the regime is not only curtailing the infrastructure of protest and dissent, but it is also destroying many of the meanings that Tahrir stood for: freedom, justice, and citizens’ reclamation of public space.
The battle for dominance over public space in Egypt will continue, determining the future relationship between state and society.
Tahrir has witnessed five milestones that have eventually resulted in a mixed reality which paves the way for the sidestepping of the January revolution.
