The group had a task in hand - defending protestors detained, facing charges or otherwise targeted by the SCAF - and they exuded confidence in their ability to methodically take on the military’s repression.
Some have linked the emergence of a strong human rights agenda in the Arab world with the policies of the last American president. In a way they are right: post-9/11 abuses overseen by the Bush administration were the tragedy that brought to light the urgency of claiming rights.