From The streets of Petrograd to the squares of Cairo

In his History of the Russian revolution Leon Trotsky described the how in February 1917, when the police were unable to cope with rising wave of protests, the cossacks were called onto the streets, Trotsky described how when the protesters approached the army lines rather than charge them down the soldiers allowed the demonstrators to squeeze under the bellies of the cavalry horses and continue on their protests.
on the BBC the Egyptian army can now be seen in Cairo, their tanks and armoured cars forming a wall blocking off Liberation Square; and the soldiers allowing the demonstrators to slip between the wheels and tracks of them.
The revolution continues!
Updates
Paul makes some telling points of caution about the events in Egypt on his blog, in the face of some severe provocation from his resident troll.
whilst James on facebook rants at the hypocrisy of a left gaining hard ons at the heroics of people struggling far away whilst neglecting the bread and butter struggles of the working class here

"I'm fucking piss off with shitheads who just expect or hope for something to happen. Go and wank off - watching Gaza or Eygpt andd then moan about why nothing happens here. Shit doesn't happen unless some people make it happen- you fucking bozo's might as well be watching Britains got talent- the news to you is just another soap opera. Society of spectale."

absolutely spot on.
a friend on facebook asked me to explain what is the cause of these north african rebellions?

"I think that each nation has different reasons for the revolts, one might even say that each individual taking part has their own reasons!, however, it is clear that there are some common factors that cut across the entire region-
firstly t...he depth of the economic crisis, we are used to thinking trather parochially about the banking crisis, as if it only exists within the advanced western world; the truth is far from this, for millions across the world this latest squeeze on lending and downturn in the world economy mean a massive rise in food and fuel prices that mean hunger and penury are real prospects.
secondly the inability of the increasingly elderly and distant dictatorships of the region to understand and respond to the needs and organisation ability of a young and angry population.
thirdly nothing succeeds like success! the victory of the protests in Tunisia have inspired people across the region to believe that its is not only possible to protest but to protest and WIN!
We have become used to seeing the middle east as filled with men in beards do unspeakable things in the name of a 'peaceful' god; the joy of these protests is that what motivates them are the same as what motivates and angers us here- what has happened there is just as likely in Western Europe. The forces of reaction, whjether the stalwarts of the old regime or the bigots of the Muslim Brotherhood are completely sidelined by a youth who see through their bull."