Cannon

Our friars with free fast-breakers

Tonight is Laylat el Khader, which the muslims believe the heavens will open and God forgives sins and hears all prayers. Even from last night, pop-up hawker stalls filled the lower Muslim Quarter, and thousands more muslims from overseas and local villages have packed into the Old City to reach the Al Aqsa Mosque. The police have made a discreet presence. Though numerous, they only show up when muslim prayers begin and end. Then they move away when usually they would stay guard at both towers flanking Damascus Gate. Their absence relieves the tension. People are even allowed to sit on the Damascus Gate cavea which was previously (for the past 5 months) was forbidden. I myself had a machine-gun laser  aimed at my chest because I sat on one of the benches because I had an asthma attack. It was very mean and cruel of the police to bully the old and sick.

Hawkers selling kebab

Yesterday evening I stayed at Damascus Gate to video the shooting of the cannon. I missed it by a second the day before because the advertised time and the actual firing was 5 minutes difference. Yesterday I was more prepared. However I aimed the camera at a wrong place so I only caught part of the explosion on the left side of the screen. Will try and do it again tonight.

While I was there I was happy to see our brothers offering free water and dates to muslims breaking their fast. It's almost an annual tradition now. It's a nice gesture of friendship. But I don't see them reciprocating during our Easter feast.

Last night the noise in the street was very loud. It was good to be wakened by that because so far it has been dead silent for the past weeks of Ramadan. Crowds were buying kebabs to eat before the fast began at 4.57am. Though the festive lights are missing, the crowds and smell of roasting kebabs gave a sense of normalcy.