Brotherhood sees bright side of electricity cuts

After electricity was cut at Rabea al-Adaweya Square, leaving thousands of protestors in the dark for almost an hour early Sunday morning, the government denied it was in preparation for a raid on the sit-in, which is demanding the reinstatement of ousted President Mohamad Morsi.

The Muslim Brotherhood, however, took it as a trial run, seeing the bright side of sitting in the dark.

In a Cabinet statement, a media spokesperson denied that the government had cut power and water to the square, which has been home to Morsi supporters for over a month. 

The electricity minister said that the Electricity Ministry "was not a party in any political conflict."

In a statement Sunday, Ahmed Imam said that the power outage was caused by a malfunction at an electrical interchange. He said power was not interrupted at the other main pro-Morsi sit-in at Nahda Square in Giza.

The Cabinet said statements regarding a gradual siege of the sit-in have been misunderstood, that cutting utilities to the area was simply one option left to the government, and that last night's cut was not in preparation for an eminent raid. 

An article on the Brotherhood's party website titled "The five benefits from the experience of electricity cuts at Rabea Square" pointed out protestors' determination and organizers' ability to problem solve.

The article said sit-in organizers quickly started generators and resumed broadcasting news from the sit-in, that not one person exited the square, and that marches toward the square were immediately organized. 

Rasha Refaat, a 29-year-old doctor who works in the square's hospital, said power quickly returned to the hospital and media center, which had priority over other areas.

"The power outage was not a big deal, we were surprised, and the whole square said 'God is the greatest' in one voice," she said. "I think it was on purpose. We thought it was a sign of an attack, but there is no fear. We are expecting something and since we are fighting for freedom and justice, nothing can happen to us." 

Whether power was cut by the authorities or it was indeed an malfunction, Morsi's supporters, and most likely the police, will know how sit-in organizers will react to a power-cut.