Description

A common sight in many cities: a man selling toys, laid out on display on the sidewalk. He is appropriating public space to sell his products, but rather than using the tops of buildings or the sides of walls, he uses the ground to advertise. Oblivious to the police in the middle of square in the background of the photo, the man sells items in a location he may have had to avoid before the Jan. 25 revolution for fear of authorities cracking down on street sellers. Many sellers during the reign of Mubarak, however, may have acted as informers of the goings-on in their locations.