Al-Lijan Al-Sha`biyya in Egypt’s Revolution: Adjusting Relations between Police and People In the 25 January movement in Egypt, the police were thrown on the defensive by demonstrators’ defiance; on Friday 28 January, the Minister of the Interior, Habib al-`Adli, decided to withdraw police from residential and business districts of Cairo, indeed throughout much of Egypt. The disappearance of the police, along with prison breaks, led to a surge in armed robbery and looting. The void in public security was filled by the formation of al-lijan al-sha`biyya (“people’s committees”), which took on the role of protecting neighborhoods, repelling intruders, policing traffic, etc. This paper argues that the formation of these groups, and the new assertiveness of Egypt’s citizenry, are redefining the relationship between police and people. The questions that guide the investigation are: (1) What were the reasons for the police’s failure to contain the 25 January movement? Why did al-`Adli act suddenly to withdraw the police? (2) How did al-lijan al-sha`biyya come into existence and how did they function? What was their attitude to the return of the police after a period of absence? (3) How did the media represent the actions of al-lijan al-sha`biyya? How did intellectuals and publicists interpret this striking episode of spontaneous neighborhood organizing? The documentation for this study rests on newspaper reports and commentary in al-Ahram, al-Masri al-Yawm, Nahdat Misr, al-Ahrar, al-Wafd,al-Shuruq, in late January/early February. Also, the author was present in Cairo and was able to observe first-hand al-lijan al-sha`biyya. Findings indicate that the police failed because rallies were larger and better organized than expected, and demonstrators showed unprecedented perseverance. It appears that `Adli’s controversial action was a cynical attempt to foment chaos in order to undermine public sympathy for demonstrations and divert energies away from protests and toward protecting families and property. Al-lijan al-sha`biyya took various forms, depending on relations within neighborhoods and external threats; their attitude toward the police also varied, since not all police abandoned their posts. As in the protests themselves, al-shabab (young men, mostly unmarried) played a disproportionate role in community defense. State-sponsored and independent media differed in many ways, but coverage of al-lijan al-sha`biyya was positive in both categories of media, with commentators suggesting the beginning of a new, respectful, cooperative relationship between police and people. However, a legacy of profound mistrust, due to past abuses by the police, remains to be addressed.