DEARBORN — To express solidarity with protesters in Egypt, about 200 Arab Americans rallied outside of Dearborn City Hall on Jan. 29, passionately shouting slogans including, “one, two, three, four, get Mubarak out the door,” “I hate you Mubarak” and “we don’t want you. Thirty years are enough. We want our freedom. We want our rights.”  

Several protesters who rallied outside of Dearborn City Hall on Jan. 29 held up signs with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s picture that read ‘WANTED’ across them.  PHOTO: Natasha Dado/TAAN

Protesters demanded a change in U.S. policy. Some held up signs reading,   “Pres, Obama, STOP SUPPORTING MUBARAK.”  Demonstrator Mohamed Elsawi who’s Egyptian and lives in Windsor, Canada said he’s disappointed in how the Obama administration has responded to the protests.  “They choose to back a dictatorship over Egyptian people and they’re a western civilized country,” he said. The U.S. government isn’t concerned about the democratic aspirations of   protesters and only worried about someone being in power who follows its policies according to Elsawi.  “The U.S. has the power to tell him what to do, and if they really want him to change something they will,” he added.  

Despite the dangers involved in the protests Elsawi still encourages his family in Egypt to participate.  “Everyone has to be engaged. Everyone has to be on the streets now, everyone. Egyptian people are not scared anymore of security and they’re not scared to express their opinion right now. This period is over, it’s a new era for Egypt. It’s a new Egypt born right now. It’s a historic moment,” Elsawi said.

Ahmed Bassyouni of Dearborn said it’s only a matter of time before Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak announces his resignation. “He will step down. That’s what the people want, and he will do it eventually. He’s trying to secure himself for afterwards. I don’t think he can stay there any longer.” 

Bassyouni says Egyptians are seeking democracy and too much power is given to Mubarak.  “The election should be for people and actually represent what people want and there is no one that should play with that. The media should be free for the people so they can express their selves,” he said.

Bassyouni who has a brother in Egypt that participated in the protests, said it’s the duty of every Egyptian to take part in the demonstrations and wishes there was something he could do to help. The Egyptian government cut off internet and phone services which made it difficult to reach his parents. He was able to get a hold of them through a landline.

Egyptian protesters have been depicted as the country’s poor. Aly Lela of Rochester Hills says that isn’t true and called demonstrators the professionals, students and farmers of Egypt. The sign he carried at the rally read,  “Mubarak you are fired.”

“The Egyptian people have been criticized of being too patient and too quiet. They have been listening to Mubarak for the last 30 years and now it is time for him to listen to the Egyptian people,” Lela said. Iraqi, Lebanese, Yemeni and other Arab Americans participated in rally. If Mubarak does step down, similarly massive protests are expected to take place in other countries around the Arab world including Yemen, Jordan and Syria. On Jan. 27 thousands of Yemenis demonstrated calling on the country’s President Ali Abdullah Saleh to resign.  Saleh has been in power since 1978. Protests also occurred in Jordan and have proven to be effective. On Tuesday Jordanian King Abdullah II fired his government and called for political reform.

Elsawi hopes Mubarak does not flee the country if he is overthrown. He wants to see him put on trial in Egypt for 30 years of corruption.  “Egyptian people on the street will not go back home until he steps down. There’s no way back. They will not stop. They will not go home until he steps down,” Elsawi said. Nearly a million Egyptians  protested on Feb. 1 in what is being hailed as the largest demonstration in the country so far.