The protests have a core leadership group which has pulled off at least two very clever feints. First, before Jan. 25th, they announced rallies at 20 sites within Cairo, to disperse the police; this allowed the rally at a 21st site, discreetly organized over low-tech channels (paper and face to face) to get all the way to Tahrir Square without much police opposition. Seeing that on TV, in turn, helped get the really big crowds out to Tahrir Square a couple of days later.
Much more recently, they pulled off a similar feint to establish a second encampment. They announced a march on government TV headquarters; while the army deployed to defend the TV station, a larger unannounced crowd marched on the parliament building, and set up camp right in front.
The protests have a core leadership group which has pulled off at least two very clever feints. First, before Jan. 25th, they announced rallies at 20 sites within Cairo, to disperse the police; this allowed the rally at a 21st site, discreetly organized over low-tech channels (paper and face to face) to get all the way to Tahrir Square without much police opposition. Seeing that on TV, in turn, helped get the really big crowds out to Tahrir Square a couple of days later.
Much more recently, they pulled off a similar feint to establish a second encampment. They announced a march on government TV headquarters; while the army deployed to defend the TV station, a larger unannounced crowd marched on the parliament building, and set up camp right in front.