KHARTOUM

- Huge crowds of citizens of the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, responded on Wednesday to the calls of protest leaders, to run huge processions to call for the restoration of the civil and democratic path, coinciding with the third anniversary of the sit-in of the General Command that toppled President Omar al-Bashir.

Most of the asphalt of the main Airport Street, in Khartoum, turned into a pedestrian street, as it was crowded with crowds of protesters who joined the procession despite the temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius, and despite the states of thirst and hunger caused by fasting.

Commenting on the first procession run by the coordination of the resistance committees in Khartoum during the current month of Ramadan, Nasreen Adam, a young woman in her twenties, sums up to Al Jazeera Net the reasons for their departure in an eloquent phrase: I am ready to fast for the whole life, provided that I break the fast in the homeland that I have always dreamed of.

Demonstrators came out in Khartoum last week as part of ongoing protests calling for civilian rule (Anatolia)

security handling

The protesters walked several kilometers through the asphalt on the Airport Street, to the Lavat Al-Jarif area at the beginning of the international airport buildings, where the security forces deployed barbed wire to prevent the protesters from moving north on the street that leads at the end to the headquarters of the Army General Command.

And before sunset, the security forces threw large quantities of tear gas to the crowds of protesters to keep them away from the vicinity of the airport, forcing them to retreat south and enter the side streets of the suburb of Al-Amarat.

The protesters erected a number of barricades on Airport Street to prevent the movement of military vehicles and personnel carriers from entering their midst.

Protesters erected barricades, used concrete stones, burned tires and logs.

Sudanese generosity

Residents of the suburb of Al-Amarat, in central Khartoum, opened the doors of their homes to receive the protesters who had withdrawn from the vicinity of Airport Street, and provided them with water, drinks and snacks.

On the other hand, a large number of protesters broke their fast in the streets, including Airport Street.

A number of participants in the procession ensured the distribution of water, dates and snacks to the rest of their peers, while others shared water and food with those arriving in the procession without provisions.

The protesters performed the Maghrib prayer en masse in the streets, and then some of them joined in praying for the current government, and to hasten the departure of its members and the replacement of a civilian government.

Akram Hassan, who led the worshipers in one of the streets of the buildings, told Al Jazeera Net that their movement is based on the belief that love of the homeland is part of faith, and therefore "praying is one of the main peaceful methods that we will strive for throughout the holy nights of Ramadan."

Roads with stones on iron and utensils comes as part of a ritual to inflame the enthusiasm of the protesters (Al-Jazeera)

cheers

Although their throats and tongues were dry, by 4 pm, cheers were still present in the Khartoum processions.

The girls actively participated in the chanting, and most of the chants were conducted in a choral manner, with a chant of:

(Civilian), (the people are a stronger people..apostasy is impossible), (the revolution is a people’s revolution..and the authority is the authority of the people..and the military is for the barracks).

Some young people collectively recited some revolutionary poems, which indicates their involvement together in the protests that have entered their fifth month.

As part of the ritual of inflaming enthusiasm, the protesters sounded the drums, and practiced hammering stones on iron and pots, to add music to their chants of freedom and civil state.

One of the participants in the protests wrapped the Sudanese flag in the form of the abaya (Al-Jazeera)

Banners and flags

As usual, Sudanese flags attended the protests, with some waving them, while others wore them in the form of gowns.

He attended the independence flag in its colors (blue, yellow, green) and the current flag, which was changed during the era of the late President Jaafar al-Numeiri (25 May 1969 - 6 April 1985).

"In our quest to achieve the goals that we have come out for since December 2019, we have restored the value of the national flag and anthem," Khaled Al-Shafei, draped in the flag, told Al Jazeera Net.

The Tom Hajo incident was present in the protest processions (Al-Jazeera)

funny scenes

The shoe-throwing incident against the leader of the National Charter group, Al-Tom Hajo, at the hands of journalist Safaa Al-Fahal, was present in more than one aspect of the demonstration.

Al-Jazeera Net camera recorded photos of protesters expressing in different ways their satisfaction with what happened, and this appeared in the banners of some of them signed "Safa Al Fahal represents me", while others raised shoes on sticks.

To combat the high temperatures, some protesters resorted to making holes in water bottles and using them to spray their faces, while others chose to put ice on their heads.

results and impact

The protesters came out on the anniversary of April 6, hoping to repeat the scenario of two revolutions in Sudan. How would they describe what happened today?

Muhammad Saeed, who comes from the Al-Azhari area, south of Khartoum, tells Al Jazeera Net that they have successfully tried to demonstrate in Ramadan, which means more escalation during the current month, he said.

For her part, Reham Rahmatullah, who comes from the Al-Zohour neighborhood (east of Khartoum), told Al Jazeera Net that their message had been placed in the military's mail, that this April 6, is not Sidra their end, but rather a stairway to advance to their dream of reaching a civil state.