Lost In The Midst Of Teargas Downtown

Nada Hedia

Caravan Reporter

 

I happened to be there on Sunday during the chaos that took place in Downtown at around 5p.m. I was stuck and had no option but to wait for someone to pick me up.

 

Like any other student, I took the 4:15 bus in the afternoon and was heading to Downtown to cover an exhibition. I did put in mind the traffic issue, which is why I left early. But it turned out that there were far worse things than traffic in Cairo nowadays that should be taken into consideration.

 

I was sitting on the bus, waiting patiently for the driver to drop me off at the next meeting point; the old campus. The bus couldn’t take its normal route as army and police officers closed the streets because ‘’there’s chaos in Tahrir square and Talaat Harb Street,’’ said the officer when the bus driver asked. The bus asked us to walk to the meeting point because there was “no way in.”

 

I left the bus, but was still clueless. I could see and smell the teargas but still had no information. All I had in mind was that there was someone waiting to pick me up in order to reach the art gallery on time and finish what I was asked to cover as a Caravan reporter.

 

The bus dropped me along with another worker and then left. But we both took separate ways, each trying to reach the desired location.

 

I was standing behind the Omar Makram mosque, next to the metal bars put for our safety by the police. At the time I had no clue where I was. I had to ask random people on the street to know my exact location. I started to panic and had no clue where to go or what do. That’s when I took the decision of calling my dad.

 

He freaked out and asked me to ‘’run’’ to the nearest hotel and stay there until he picked me up. Yes; I ran. I didn’t have an option. He said it might take him “a while, since all the streets are closed.’’

 

His phone call enlightened me with full details regarding what’s happening. Apparently he was trying to reach me but something was wrong with the connection.

 

Until now I don’t understand why the policeman didn’t explain what was happening when I asked. His answer was so brief: “chaos.” Yes, what kind of chaos was my question?

 

My dad told me that after students protested against the coup in Tahrir Square, security forces fired teargas. That’s when the protestors ran to Talaat Harb to hide and avoid any interaction. The chaos started here; protestors began throwing rocks at security and army forces and the clashes soon became unstoppable.

 

As a girl, why should I be put in such a position? Why should I be left alone in the streets while there is chaos going on? I’m not blaming it on the bus driver, but maybe he should have stayed. But as a human and a citizen of this country, why should I be put in danger and witness such clashes?

 

It’s not normal that chaos happens on daily basis now. It’s not normal that you don’t go to the place you’re supposed to go to because suddenly there are gunshots and teargas everywhere. Or is it normal? Or should I say is it becoming normal? The instability of this country is making me question many things.

 

I’m starting to get lost between the reality we lived in before the January 25 revolution and the one we are living in now.