On Sunday, the Egyptian government ordered the demolition of Mubarak’s National Democratic Party’s (NDP) headquarters, which for many was the stronghold of the regime’s corruption and monopolistic dominance. During the pivotal days of the 25th of January revolution, the building was looted, destroyed, and set afire by protesters. The demolition of the building follows the pattern of the remodeling and redecoration of Tahrir Square only six months ago. An underground garage was built, buildings surrounding the square are being remodeled and repainted, and upscale stores and coffee shops are opening, all to increase tourist attention to the area while enhancing the quality of citizen services. I am not going to object to the NDP building being demolished, as it is in a very valuable area of Cairo that the government needs to make use of. I am, however, going to talk about the significance of the building’s destruction and what seeing it being devoured by the flames meant to some. In a sense you could say that the fall of the NDP building meant the fall of Mubarak’s regime – at the time. It followed the immediate retreat of El…
Demolishing The NDP Headquarters: Corruption Isn’t A Building, Just As Revolution Isn’t A Square
June 4, 2015
