“I came here to get some solace,” said the 58-year-old Fikri, a local government employee whose 34-year-old son, Ahmed, was shot dead by police on the first day of the uprising on January 25 while returning home from work.
His son left behind two young daughters, whom Fikri must now find a way to support.
“We have filed documents (for compensation), and they have yet to give us a reply,” he said on Friday.
While demands for political change are the main force driving thousands of Egyptians to Tahrir Square, the quest for better living better conditions, including jobs and housing, also weighs on people’s minds.
“The people are crushed. They have suffered injustice under Mubarak for 30 years, and the uprising has not yet brought people justice,” said Zakariya Eid, 55, a retired army officer.
“There are people who earn as little (a month) as 200 Egyptian pounds,” he added, only to be interrupted by another person who said he was actually making 120 pounds.
The interim government of Prime Minister Essam Sharaf says it recognises all the grievances of the Egyptian people but insists it needs time to fix things.