Toronto celebrates Mubarak's ouster

by Anita Krajnc

After 18 days of a popular uprising led to the overthrow of Egypt's dictator Hosni Mubarak on Friday, February 11, 2011, Toronto's Egyptian community and Torontonians of all backgrounds came out to celebrate at Dundas Square with hugs, chants, songs, drumming, and dancing. The Egyptian uprising, which began January 25, has politicized Canadian Egyptian youth. Nourhan Labib has been going to all the Queen's Park and Dundas Square rallies and has been informing her fellow students of the democratic upheaval in Egypt. She says, "I am going to continue to be active." A McMaster student said, "The beauty of this revolution was that it was organized by [youth]... Each and every single one of you can make a difference..." Ramy Attalla, one of the organizers of the victory celebrations, said: "In terms of reconstruction [in Egypt], there are many people that are already making their ways [to Egypt] -- doctors, pharmacists, lawyers, engineers... they're going down to help in any shape or form and they just know that there is a lot of confusion right now and that's why we need a lot of thinkers to be in charge to guide the people."

The celebrations were organized by the Toronto-Arab Solidarity Campaign. The campaign consists of a city-wide network in the Greater Toronto Area that supports the growing movements for freedom and democracy throughout the Arab world. It includes both Arab and non-Arab members, and organizations such as the Canadian Coptic Association, the Egyptian National Association for Change, the Canadian Arab Federation, the Canadian Peace Alliance, and the Toronto Coalition to Stop the War.
For more information about the coalition contact arab.freedom2011@gmail.com

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Anita Krajnc (Anita Krajnc)
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