The View From Alexandria

This blog post(LINK) on Youth Journalism International is a first hand account from 17 year old Jessica Elsayed on the situation in her home town of Alexandria. It is pretty inspiring to hear of people spontaneously organising to defend themselves from antisocial elements, both police and criminal, as a community whilst at the same time fighting to oust the dictator who has ruled over them for the last three decades.

The closing paragraph is pretty inspiring in itself.

The timing is perfect. Exams are over and schools and colleges are closed now for a mid-year vacation, which is one reason the crowds got so big on Friday.

Nobody cares that the ruling party headquarters went up in flames yesterday. Its furnishings were stolen from the people.

Other buildings that burned also don’t matter.

All of this can be fixed. Burned buildings can be fixed.

Being oppressed cannot be fixed except through revolt. Mubarak left us no other choice.

We’re optimistic. Everyone’s optimistic. We’re going to be OK.

It’s a different country than it was just five days ago.

Which kinda reminds me of another famous quote from a long time ago.

“It is we the workers who built these palaces and cities here in Spain and in America and everywhere. We, the workers, can build others to take their place. And better ones! We are not in the least afraid of ruins. We are going to inherit the earth; there is not the slightest doubt about that. The bourgeoisie might blast and ruin its own world before it leaves the stage of history. We carry a new world here, in our hearts.”

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