One of the major themes discussed during the Libya forum was the role of freedom of expression in Libyan society after the revolution. Freedom of expression was oppressed in all three states discussed here, and since the deposition of the three dictators their societies have exploded with cartoons, videos, paintings, poetry, music, blogs, and countless other forms of expression and art. For a presentation in class I studied Egyptian graffiti, and I would like to post a few pictures here and discuss how they relate to key aspects of the revolution.
The three images above demonstrate how the role of the military and people's perceptions of the military have developed over the course of the year. The first image is from Tahrir Square before Mubarak stepped down, and the graffiti calls for Mubarak to leave. It demonstrates how in the beginning of the revolution the military was seen as helping the protestors. The second image was done by a group of graffiti artists during Mad Graffiti Weekend, which took place at the end of May. It depicts a boy carrying bread representing the people going against a tank, which could represent repression in general or could represent the Egyptian military. Perceptions were beginning to change. The last image is from the most recent protests which took place at the end of November and calls for an end to the military's rule altogether. The military is no longer trusted.
One of the most common forms of Egyptian graffiti is murals depicting martyrs of the revolution. The boy in this picture is Khaled Said, who was killed by policy in 2010. Although he died before the revolution, he became a huge symbol and rallying point for protestors. The Facebook group We are all Khaled Said was a major tool for organizing protests during the revolution and continues to post updates today.
This final image touches on a lot of major themes from the revolution. The word in the center, "7orya," is the Arabic word for freedom. The logos of Facebook, Twitter, and Al-Jazeera show the importance of both social media and international media in the revolution. The policeman represents the regime and everything the protestors were fighting against. There are also religious symbols in the city skyline depicting a church and a mosque. Both are wrapped in the cord of the revolution, which shows the unity of the two religions against Mubarak and calls for peaceful coexistence between all Egyptians of all faiths. Overall, this picture captures many common themes expressed in Egyptian graffiti as well as the spirit of the revolution.
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