Egypt: the revolution continues

While commentators in the West are debating whether the Egyptian military's removal of Morsi is a military coup or not, Egyptians are celebrating the historic protests that forced the military to act.
 
Anti-imperialism
The military is trying to contain the revolution, using an attack on the Muslim Brotherhood as pretext, while the Muslim Brotherhood leadership has organized rallies trying to regain power--despite their failure offer any alternative to Mubarak and his imperial masters. Following the clashes and the violence on the first Friday after ousting Mohamed Morsi, the founder of the Tamarrod (Rebel) movement, Mahmoud Badr said: “the United States want to impose the Muslim Brotherhood on the Egyptians.” Badr added that MB previously promised to disarm the Palestinian resistance.
 
It seems that the masses that ousted Mursi can no longer tolerate any Western governments’ interventions even in the form of statements. Hazem Barakat, prominent Egyptian activist, journalist, and participant in the ongoing revolution (that ousted Mubarak and later Morsi), commented: “The masses in Egypt prove that they prefer to be hungry than to be directed by the United States.”
 
Permanent revolution
Morsi is not the president anymore and the government is not under MB control anymore, but the demands remain the same- “bread, freedom and social justice.” Millions of people who took to the streets on June 30 proved that it is not necessary to wait for elections in order to overthrow a government that has met none of the basic demands of the people. This builds on the movement that ousted Mubarak in 2011 and fought against the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) a year ago.
 
Muhammad Hardan, deputy president of the Independent Union of Workers in the Cairo Water Company, makes this very clear in his statement to the MENA Solidarity Network by saying: “If the next president refuses to meet our demands, we will rebel again. There is no other solution. Those who have tasted freedom will not be slaves again. The revolution will continue until its demands are met, no matter who sits in the presidential palace. We will never abandon the revolution and we will never give in.”
 
Unity and solidarity
Despite the pro-Morsi protestors’ attacks today, Egyptians proved that democracy is achievable if all unite. Shortly after the attacks, a charity campaign was launched. So far, the campaign has succeeded to collect millions of Egyptian Pounds to make sure that food and all basic needs are available for everyone in Egypt. This will ensure that no politician can use the needs of people to win votes.
 
Instead of dismissing the overthrow of Morsi as a military coup, activists around the world must be in solidarity with Egyptians by making sure that none of the Western governments intervene. In addition we need to to take lessons from Egyptian revolutionaries who refuse to leave the streets until all demands are met, and who combine protests and strikes in a permanent revolution to fight austerity, capitalism and oppression.