2011 Egyptian Revolution - Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

2011 Egyptian revolution

Demonstrators at Cairo's Tahrir Square on 8

February 2011

Location Egypt

Date 25 January 2011 – Ongoing unrest

Characteristics civil disobedience, civil resistance,

demonstrations, riots, strike

actions

Death(s) at least 384[1][2] including at least

135 protesters, 12 policemen,[3][4][5]

12 escaped prisoners, and

one prison chief[6][7]

Injured 5,500 people[8]

Result Resignation of President Hosni

Mubarak, and the military

controlling the Egyptian

government. Military promising a

civilian government and the lift of

the emergency law. Arrests of

former ministers and their trial.

Freezing of the Ex-President

Mubarak's assets as well as his

family's. Ongoing.[9]

Egypt

2011 Egyptian revolutionFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(Redirected from Egyptian Revolution of 2011)

The 2011 Egyptian revolution (Arabic: يناير25ثورة thawrah 25 yanāyir, Revolution of 25 January) took placefollowing a popular uprising that began on 25 January2011 which featured a series of demonstrations, marches,acts of civil disobedience, labor strikes, and violent clashesbetween protestors and security services and supporters ofthe regime of Hosni Mubarak. Protests took place in Cairo,Alexandria, and other cities in Egypt, following similarevents in Tunisia that saw the overthrow of the long timeTunisian president. Millions of protesters from a variety ofsocio-economic backgrounds and religions demanded theoverthrow of the regime of Egyptian President HosniMubarak. On 11 February, Mubarak resigned from officefollowing weeks of determined popular protest andpressure.

Grievances of Egyptian protesters focused on legal and

political issues[10] including police brutality,[11] state of

emergency laws,[11] lack of free elections and freedom of

speech,[12] uncontrollable corruption,[12] as well as

economic issues including high unemployment,[13] food

price inflation,[13] and low minimum wages.[11][13] Theprimary demands from protest organizers are the end ofthe Hosni Mubarak regime, the end of Emergency Law(martial law), freedom, justice, a responsive non-military

government, and management of Egypt's resources.[14]

Labor unions were said to play an integral part in the

protests.[15]

As of 16 February, at least 365 deaths had been reported,and those injured number in the thousands. The capital

city of Cairo was described as "a war zone,"[16] and theport city of Suez has been the scene of frequent violentclashes. The government imposed a curfew that protestersdefied and that the police and military did not enforce. Thepresence of Egypt's Central Security Forces police, loyalto Mubarak, was gradually replaced by largely restrainedmilitary troops. In the absence of police, there was looting bygangs that opposition sources said were instigated byplainclothes police officers. In response, civiliansself-organised watch groups to protect neighbourhoods.[17][18][19][20][21]

International response to the protests was initially mixed,[22]

though most have called for some sort of peaceful protests onboth sides and moves toward reform. Mostly Westerngovernments also expressed concern for the situation. Manygovernments issued travel advisories and began making

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attempts at evacuating their citizens from the country.[23] TheEgyptian Revolution, along with Tunisian events, hasinfluenced demonstrations in other Arab countries includingYemen, Bahrain, Jordan and Libya.

Mubarak dissolved his government and appointed militaryfigure and former head of the Egyptian General IntelligenceDirectorate Omar Suleiman as Vice-President in an attempt toquell dissent. Mubarak asked aviation minister and formerchief of Egypt's Air Force, Ahmed Shafik, to form a newgovernment. Mohamed ElBaradei became a major figure ofthe opposition, with all major opposition groups supporting hisrole as a negotiator for some form of transitional unity

government.[24] In response to mounting pressure Mubarak

announced he would not seek re-election in September.[25]

On 11 February, Vice President Omar Suleiman announcedthat Mubarak would be stepping down as president andturning power over to the Supreme Council of the Armed

Forces.[26] The junta, headed by effective head of stateMohamed Hussein Tantawi, announced on 13 February thatthe constitution would be suspended, both houses ofparliament dissolved, and that the military would rule for sixmonths until elections could be held. The prior cabinet,including Prime Minister Ahmed Shafik, would continue to

serve as a caretaker government until a new one is formed.[27]

Shafik resigned on 3 March 2011, a day before major proteststo get him to step down were planned; he was replaced by

Essam Sharaf, the former transport minister.[28]

Contents

1 Naming2 Background

2.1 Emergency law2.2 Police brutality2.3 Economic challenges2.4 Corruption

3 Lead-up to the protests3.1 Tunisian revolution3.2 Self-immolation3.3 National Police Day protests

4 Protests4.1 Timeline4.2 Cities and regions

5 Deaths6 International reactions

6.1 Post-ousting

7 Domestic responses

Government

Legislative

Judicial

Elections

Political parties

Foreign policy


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7.1 Reform process

8 Analysis8.1 Women's role8.2 Regional instability8.3 The military's role8.4 Online activism8.5 Foreign relations

9 See also10 References11 Further reading12 External links

Naming

In Egypt and also the wider Arab world, the protests and subsequent changes in the government, are mostlycalled the 25 January Revolution ( and,(ثورة الغضب) Thawrat 25 Yanāyir) and Rage Revolution يناير25ثورة

sometimes called [29] the Revolution of the Youth (ثورة الشباب Thawrat al-Shabāb), Lotus Revolution (ثورةIn the Media it has been known as the .(al-Thawrah al-bayḍāʾ الثورة البيضاء) or the White Revolution (اللوتس"18 Day Revolution".

Background

Hosni Mubarak became head of Egypt's semi-presidential republic government following the assassination ofPresident Anwar El Sadat, and continued to serve until his departure in 2011. Mubarak's 30-year reign made

him the longest serving President in Egypt's history.[30] Mubarak and his National Democratic Party (NDP)

government maintained one-party rule under a continuous state of emergency since 1981.[31] Mubarak'sgovernment earned the support of the West and a continuation of annual aid from the United States by

maintaining policies of suppression towards Islamic militants and peace with Israel.[31] Hosni Mubarak wasoften compared to an Egyptian pharaoh by the media and by some of his harsher critics due to his

authoritarian rule.[32]

Emergency law

Main article: Emergency law in Egypt

An emergency law (Law No. 162 of 1958) was enacted after the 1967 Six-Day War, suspended for 18

months in the early 1980s,[33] and continuously in effect since President Sadat's 1981 assassination.[34]

Under the law, police powers are extended, constitutional rights suspended, censorship is legalized,[35] andthe government may imprison individuals indefinitely and without reason. The law sharply limits anynon-governmental political activity, including street demonstrations, non-approved political organizations,

and unregistered financial donations.[33] The Mubarak government has cited the threat of terrorism in order

to extend the emergency law,[34] claiming that opposition groups like the Muslim Brotherhood could comeinto power in Egypt if the current government did not forgo parliamentary elections and suppressed the group

through actions allowed under emergency law.[36] This has led to the imprisonment of activists without

trials,[37] illegal undocumented hidden detention facilities,[38][39] and rejecting university, mosque, and

newspaper staff members based on their political inclination.[40] A parliamentary election in December 2010was preceded by a media crackdown, arrests, candidate bans (particularly of the Muslim Brotherhood), and

allegations of fraud involving the near unanimous victory by the ruling party in parliament.[33] Human rights


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Population pyramid in 2005. Many of

those 30 and younger are educated

citizens who are having difficulties

finding work.

A poor neighbourhood in Cairo.

organizations estimate that in 2010 between 5,000 and 10,000 people were in long-term detention without

charge or trial.[41][42]

Police brutality

Further information: Law enforcement in Egypt

The deployment of plainclothes forces paid by Mubarak's ruling party, Baltageya[43] (Arabic: بلطجية), has

been a hallmark of the Mubarak government.[43] The Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights has

documented 567 cases of torture, including 167 deaths, by police that occurred between 1993 and 2007.[44]

On 6 June 2010, Khaled Mohamed Saeed died under disputed circumstances in the Sidi Gaber area of

Alexandria. Multiple witnesses testified that Saeed was beaten to death by the police.[45][46] Activistsrallying around a Facebook page called "We are all Khaled Said" succeeded in bringing nationwide attention

to the case.[47] Mohamed ElBaradei, former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, led a rally in

2010 in Alexandria against alleged abuses by the police and visited Saeed's family to offer condolences.[48]

Economic challenges

Demographic

Further information: Demographics of Egypt

Further information: Demographic trap

Further information: Youth bulge

The population of Egypt grew from 30,083,419 in 1966[49] to roughly

79,000,000 by 2008.[50] The vast majority of Egyptians live in thelimited spaces near the banks of the Nile River, in an area of about40,000 square kilometers (15,000 sq mi), where the only arable land isfound and competing with the need of human habitations. In late2010, around 40 percent of Egypt's population of just under 80 millionlived on the fiscal income equivalent of roughly US$2 per day with a

large part of the population relying on subsidised goods.[11]

According to the Peterson Institute for International Economics, thebasic problem Egypt has is unemployment driven by a demographicyouth bulge: with the number of new people entering the job force atabout 4 percent a year, unemployment in Egypt is almost 10 times as high for college graduates as it is forpeople who have gone through elementary school, particularly educated urban youth, who are precisely the

people currently seen out in the streets.[51]

Reform, growth, and poverty

Further information: Economy of Egypt

Egypt's economy was highly centralized during the rule of formerPresident Gamal Abdel Nasser but opened up considerably underformer President Anwar Sadat and Mubarak. The Mubarak-ledgovernment from 2004 to 2008 aggressively pursued economicreforms to attract foreign investment and facilitate GDP growth, butpostponed further economic reforms because of global economicturmoil. The international economic downturn slowed Egypt's GDPgrowth to 4.5 percent in 2009. In 2010, analysts assessed the government of Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif


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would need to restart economic reforms to attract foreign investment, boost growth, and improve economicconditions for the broader population. Despite high levels of national economic growth over the past few

years, living conditions for the average Egyptian remained poor.[52]

Corruption

Further information: Crime in Egypt

Political corruption in Mubarak administration's Ministry of Interior has risen dramatically due to the

increased power over the institutional system necessary to prolong the presidency.[53] The rise to power ofpowerful business men in the NDP in the government and the People's Assembly led to massive waves ofanger during the years of Prime Ministers Ahmed Nazif's government. An example of that is Ahmed Ezz's

monopolizing the steel industry in Egypt by holding more than 60 percent of the market share.[54] AladdinElaasar, an Egyptian biographer and an American professor, estimates that the Mubarak family is worth from

$50 to $70 billion.[55][56]

The wealth of Ahmed Ezz, the former NDP Organisation Secretary, is estimated to be 18 billion Egyptian

pounds;[57] The wealth of former Housing Minister Ahmed al-Maghraby is estimated to be more than 11

billion Egyptian pounds;[57] The wealth of former Minister of Tourism Zuhair Garrana is estimated to be 13

billion Egyptian pounds;[57] The wealth of former Minister of Trade and Industry, Rashid Mohamed Rashid,

is estimated to be 12 billion Egyptian pounds;[57] and the wealth of former Interior Minister Habib al-Adly is

estimated to be 8 billion Egyptian pounds.[57]

The perceptions of corruption and its beneficiaries being limited to businessmen with ties to the NationalDemocratic Party have created a picture "where wealth fuels political power and political power buys

wealth."[58]

During the Egyptian parliamentary election, 2010, opposition groups complained of harassment and fraudperpetrated by the government. As such opposition and civil society activists have called for changes to anumber of legal and constitutional provisions which affect elections.

In 2010, Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index report assessed Egypt with a CPI scoreof 3.1, based on perceptions of the degree of corruption from business people and country analysts (with 10

being clean and 0 being totally corrupt).[59]

Lead-up to the protests

In background preparation for a possible overthrow of Mubarak, opposition groups had studied the work ofGene Sharp on non-violent revolution, including working with leaders of Otpor!, the student-led Serbianuprising in 2000. Copies of Sharp's list of 198 non-violent "weapons", translated into Arabic and not always

attributed to him, were circulating in Tahrir Square during its occupation.[60][61]

Tunisian revolution

Main article: 2010–2011 Tunisian revolution

Further information: 2010–2011 Middle East and North Africa protests

After the ousting of Tunisian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali due to mass protests, many analysts,including former European Commission President Romano Prodi, saw Egypt as the next country where such

a revolution might occur.[62] The Washington Post comments on this saying "The "Jasmine Revolution," [...]should serve as a stark warning to Arab leaders - beginning with Egypt's 83-year-old Hosni Mubarak - that


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One of the protestors holding the

Egyptian flag during the protests that

started on 25 January 2011 in Egypt

that demanded the removal of the

regime and for Mubarak to step down

their refusal to allow more economic and political opportunity is dangerous and untenable."[63] However,others argued on the contrary citing little aspiration of the Egyptian people, low educational levels and a

strong government with the support of the military.[64] The BBC said "The simple fact is that most Egyptiansdo not see any way that they can change their country or their lives through political action, be it voting,

activism, or going out on the streets to demonstrate." [65]

Self-immolation

On 17 January due to rising discontent with the country's state and the poor living conditions, and followingthe self-immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi in Tunisia, a man set himself ablaze in front of the Egyptian

parliament;[66] about five more attempts of self-immolation followed suit.[64]

National Police Day protests

Opposition groups were planning a day of revolt for 25 Januarycoinciding with the National Police Day. The goal for the protests wasto protest against abuses by the police in front of the ministry of

interior.[67] These demands expanded to be the resignation of theminister of Interior, the restoration of a fair minimum wage, the endof Emergency Law and the limitation of the presidency to two terms.A major supporter for the protests was the April 6 Youth Movement,which distributed 20,000 leaflets saying "I will protest on 25 Januaryto get my rights".

Security forces however deemed the protests as "illegal", not havingthe required permissions to proceed and would therefore deal with it

strictly.[68] Many political movements, opposition parties and publicfigures chose to support the day of revolt including Youth for Justiceand Freedom, the Popular Democratic Movement for Change and theNational Association for Change, however, its leader Mohamed El Baradei did not support the protests

saying that he "would like to use the means available from within the system to effect change".[69] The Ghad,Karama, Wafd and Democratic Front parties also lend their support to the protests. Public figures includingnovelist Alaa Al Aswany, writer Belal Fadl and actors Amr Waked and Khaled Aboul Naga announced theywould also participate, while the facebook group set for the event attracted 80,000 attendees. However, theTagammu Party and the Muslim brotherhood stated they would not participate. The Coptic church also urged

Christians not to participate in the protests.[70]

Protests

Timeline

Main article: Timeline of the 2011 Egyptian Revolution


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The "Day of Revolt" on 25 January

By 30 January, imams from the

Al-Azhar University joined the

protests. Coptic priests and Muslim

clerics were seen protesting together in

unity.

Over 1 Million in Tahrir Square on

February 9, 2011

Over 2 millions protesting in Tahrir

Square on February 10, 2011 after

Hosni Mubarak's speech saying that

they'll go to his palace the day after

was announced


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Celebrations in Tahrir Square when

Hosni Mubarak's resignation was

announced

25 January 2011: The "Day of Revolt", nationwide protests againstthe government of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak began. Tens ofthousands of protestors gathered in Cairo, with thousands more incities throughout Egypt. The protests were generally non-violent, butthere were reports of some casualties among both civilians and police.

28 January 2011: The “Friday of Rage” protests began. Shortly afterFriday prayers, hundreds of thousands gathered in Cairo and otherEgyptian cities. Opposition leader Mohammed ElBaradei traveled toCairo to participate. Some looting was reported. Prisons were openedand burned down forcing inmates to escape after orders from thecorrupt Minister of Interior Habib El Adly in what was believed to bea fear tactic to horrify the protesters. Police forces withdrew from thestreets completely. The Egyptian government ordered the military to assist the police. International fears ofviolence grew, but no major casualties were reported. President Husni Mubarak addressed the nation for thefirst time after 4 days of ongoing protests and asked the government to hand in it's resignation.

29 January 2011: Protests continued as military presence in Cairo increased. A curfew was instituted, butprotests continued throughout the night. The military showed restraint, reportedly refusing to obey orders touse live ammunition; there were no reports of major casualties.

1 February 2011: After continued nationwide unrest, Mubarak addressed the people and offered severalconcessions. In addition to proclaiming he would not run for another term in the September 2011 elections,he promised political reforms. He said that he would stay in office to ensure a peaceful transition.Pro-Mubarak and anti-Mubarak groups began to clash in small but violent interactions throughout the night.

2 February 2011: "The Scene of Camels". Several Camels and Horses were unleashed into Tahrir Squarefollowing orders believed to be given by the corrupt Minister of Interior Habib El Adly, resulting in hundredsof casualties. Violence escalated as waves of Mubarak supporters met anti-government protestors. Themilitary limited the violence, constantly separating anti-Mubarak and pro-Mubarak groups. PresidentMubarak, in interviews with various news agencies, refused to step down. Violence toward internationaljournalists and news agencies escalated; speculation grew that Mubarak was actively increasing instability asa way to step in and end the protests.

5 February 2011: Protests in Cairo and throughout the nation continued. Egyptian Christians held SundayMass in Tahrir Square, protected by a ring of Muslims. Negotiations began between Egyptian Vice PresidentOmar Suleiman and opposition representatives. The Egyptian army increased its security role, maintainingorder and protecting Egypt’s museums. Suleiman offered political and constitutional reforms while othermembers of the Mubarak regime accuses nations, including the US, of interfering in Egypt’s affairs.

10 February 2011: Mubarak formally addressed Egypt amid reports of a possible military coup, but insteadof his expected resignation, he stated his powers would transfer to Vice President Suleiman, and he wouldremain in Egypt as its head of state. Anger and disappointment spread through crowds in Cairo, anddemonstrations began to escalate in number and intensity throughout Egypt.

11 February 2011: The "Friday of Departure", massive protests in response to Mubarak’s speechcontinued in many Egyptian cities. At 6:00 p.m. local time, Suleiman announced Mubarak's resignation andthat the Supreme Council of Egyptian Armed Forces would assume leadership of the country.

13 February 2011: The Supreme Council of Egyptian Armed Forces dissolved Egypt’s parliament andsuspended the Constitution. The council also declared that it would hold power for six months or untilelections could be held, whichever came first. ElBaradei urged the council to provide more details to theEgyptian people regarding its plans. Major protests subsided but uncertainty remained, and many pledged tokeep returning to Tahrir square until all demands had been met.


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Protesters in Alexandria during

Egyptian revolution of 2011

Two Egyptian divers in Hurgada

holding a banner underwater saying

"Leave before the oxygen runs out"

Protesters removing portraits of

Ex-president Mubarak in Sohag City in

upper Egypt

Cities and regions

Cairo

Cairo has been at the epicentre of much of the crisis. The largestprotests were held in downtown Tahrir Square, which was consideredthe "protest movement’s beating heart and most effective

symbol."[71] On the first three days of the protests, there were clashesbetween the central security police and protesters and as of 28January, police forces withdrew from all of Cairo. Citizens thenformed neighbourhood watch groups to keep the order as widespreadlooting was reported. Traffic police were reintroduced to Cairo on the

morning of 31 January.[72] An estimated 2 million people protested at

Tahrir square.[73]

Alexandria

Alexandria, the home of Khaled Saeed, had major protests andclashes against the police. Demonstrations continued and one on 3

February was reported to include 750,000 people.[citation needed]Therewere few confrontations as not many Mubarak supporters werearound, except in occasional motorized convoys escorted by police.The breakdown of law and order, including the general absence ofpolice on the streets, continued through to at least the evening of 3February, including the looting and burning of one the country's

largest shopping centres.[citation needed] Alexandria protests werenotable for the presence of Christians and Muslims jointly taking partin the events following the church bombing on 1 January.

Mansoura

In the northern city of Mansoura there were protests against theMubarak regime every day from 25 January onwards. One protest on

1 February was estimated at one million people,[citation needed] whileon 3 February, 70,000 people were reported on the streets.[citation needed]

Siwa

The remote city of Siwa has thus far been reported as relatively

calm.[74] Local sheikhs, who were reportedly in control of the

community, put the community under lockdown after a nearby town was "torched."[75]

Suez

The city of Suez has seen the most violence of the protests thus far. Eyewitness reports have suggested thatthe death toll there may be higher, although confirmation has been difficult due to a ban on media coverage

in the area.[76] Some online activists have referred to Suez as Egypt's Sidi Bouzid, the Tunisian city where

protests started.[77] A labor strike was held on 8 February.[78] Large protests took place on 11 February.[79]

Tanta

Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets from the first day (Jan. 25th) and most of the days afteruntil Feb. 11th. It exceeded a hundred thousand many times. Some hospitals reported casualties during the


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clashes of Friday Jan. 28th.

Beni Suef

City of Beni Suef have seen repeated protests in front of the City Hall On el Kourneish, in front of Omar abdel Aziz Mosque, and in El Zerayeen Square, on most days of the protests and demonstrations. 12 protestershave been killed when Police Opened fire at Mass groups protesting in front of the Police Station in Beba,South Beni suef. Many others got injured. Thugs and outlaws have robbed many Governmental garages andburned down several Governmental buildings.

Luxor

There were also protests in Luxor.[80]

Sinai Peninsula

Bedouins in the Sinai Peninsula fought the security forces for several weeks.[81]

Sharm-El-Sheikh

No protests or civil unrest took place in Sharm-El-Sheikh on 31 January.[82] All was still calm as Hosni

Mubarak and his family left on 11 February.[79]

Deirout

Police opened fire on protesters in the Deirout near the southern suburbs of Cairo and Asyut, on 11

February.[79]

Shebin el-Kom

Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of Shebin el-Kom on 11 February.[79]

El-Arish

Thousands protested in the city of El-Arish, in the Sinai Peninsula on 11 February.[79]

Sohag

Large protests took place in the southern city of Sohag on 11 February.[79]

Minya

Large protests took place in the southern city of Minya on 11 February.[79]

Ismailia

Nearly 100,000 people protested in and about the local government headquarters in Ismailia on 11

February.[79]

Kafr El Sheikh

Large protests took place on 28 January and 4 February all over Kafr el-Sheikh.[citation needed]

Deaths


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A memorial in Tahrir Square made by

the demonstrators in honor of those

who died during the protests, regarded

as shuhada' شھداء – "martyrs" – in

Egyptian parlance. The captions in the

pictures attribute most of the deaths to

police violence.

Leading up to the protests, at least six cases of self-immolation werereported, including a man arrested while trying to set himself on fire

in downtown Cairo.[83] These cases were inspired by, and beganexactly one month after, the acts of self-immolation in Tunisiatriggering the 2010–2011 Tunisian uprising. Six instances have been

reported, including acts by Abdou Abdel-Moneim Jaafar,[84]

Mohammed Farouk Hassan,[85] Mohammed Ashour Sorour,[86] and

Ahmed Hashim al-Sayyed who later died from his injuries.[87]

As of 30 January, Al Jazeera reported as many as 150 deaths in the

protests.[88] The Sun reported that the dead could include at least 10

policemen, 3 of whom were killed in Rafah by "an enraged mob".[89]

By 29 January, 2,000 people were known to be injured.[90] The sameday, an employee of the Azerbaijani embassy in Egypt was killed

while returning home from work in Cairo;[91] the next day Azerbaijan

sent a plane to evacuate citizens[92] and opened a criminal investigation into the death.[93]

Funerals for the dead on the "Friday of Anger" were held on 30 January. Hundreds of mourners gathered for

the funerals calling for Mubarak's removal.[94] By 1 February, the protests had left at least 125 people

dead,[95] although Human Rights Watch said that UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillayclaimed that as many as 300 people may have died in the unrest. This unconfirmed tally included 80 HumanRights Watch-verified deaths at two Cairo hospitals, 36 in Alexandria, and 13 in the port city of Suez,

amongst others;[96][97][98] over 3,000 people were also reported as injured.[96][97][98]

Death toll of 2011 Egyptian revolution

Location of deaths

The mostly confirmed

death toll

as of 11 February 2011

References

Alexandria 52 [7][99][100][100][96][101]

Suez 18 [7][96][101][99]

Asyut 3 [99]

El-Arish 1 [79]

Beni Suef 17 [102]

Luxor 1 [103]

Atfih 1 [103]

Cairo 232 [7][103][104][96][105][101][99][106][7]

Kharga Oasis 1 [103]

Sheikh Zoweid, North Sinai 1 [107]

Abu Simbel 1 [103]

Rafah 3 [100]

Mansoura 2 [108]

Deaths in other places hit by protests 45 [107][7][7][109][105]

Total 384 [110][111][112][105][7][113]


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"Nero burned Rome; Mubarak is

burning Egypt"

International reactions

Main article: International reactions to the Egyptian Revolution of 2011

International reactions have varied with most Western states saying peaceful protests should continue butalso expressing concern for the stability of the country and the region. Many states in the region expressedconcern and supported Mubarak, while others like Tunisia and Iran supported the protests. Israel was mostcautious for change, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asking his government ministers tomaintain silence and urging Israel's US and European allies to curb their criticism of President Mubarak;[114][115] however, an Arab-Israeli parliamentarian supported the protests. There were also numeroussolidarity protests for the anti-government protesters around the world.

NGOs also expressed concern about the protests and the ensuing heavy-handed state response. Manycountries also issued travel warnings or began evacuating their citizens. Even multinational corporations

began evacuating their expatriate workers.[116]

Post-ousting

Amid the growing concerns for the country, on 21 February, David Cameron, Prime Minister of the UnitedKingdom, became the first world leader to visit Egypt since Mubarak was ousted as the president 10 dayspreviously. A news blackout was lifted as the prime minister landed in Cairo for a brief five-hour stopover

hastily added at the start of a planned tour of the Middle East.[117]

Domestic responses

Main article: Domestic responses to the Egyptian Revolution of 2011

On 29 January, Mubarak indicated he would be changing thegovernment because despite a "point of no return" being crossed,national stability and law and order must prevail, that he hadrequested the government, formed only months ago, to step down,

and that a new government would be formed.[118][119] He thenappointed Omar Suleiman, head of Egyptian Intelligence, as vice

president and Ahmed Shafik as prime minister.[120] On 1 February, hespoke again saying he would stay in office until the next election inSeptember 2011 and then leave without standing as a candidate. Healso promised to make political reforms.

Various opposition groups, including the Muslim Brotherhood,reiterated demands for Mubarak's resignation. The MB also said, after protests turned violent, that it was time

for the military to intervene.[121] Mohammed ElBaradei, who said he was ready to lead a transitional

government,[122] was also the consensus candidate by a unified opposition including: the April 6 Youth

Movement, We Are All Khaled Said Movement, National Association for Change, 25 January Movement,

Kefaya and the Muslim Brotherhood.[123] ElBaradei formed a "steering committee".[124] On 5 February, a"national dialogue" was started between the government and opposition groups to work out a transitionalperiod before democratic elections.

Many of Al-Azhar Imams joined the protesters on 30 January all over the country.[125] Christian leadersasked their congregations to stay away from protests, though a number of young Christian activists joined the

protests led by Wafd Party member Raymond Lakah.[126]


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A sign with the protesters' omnibus

demands

The Egyptian state cracked down on the media, and shut down internet access,[127] a primary means ofcommunication for the opposition. Journalists were also harassed by the regime's supporters, elicitingcondemnation from the Committee to Protect Journalists, European countries and the United States.

Egyptian and foreign equity and commodity markets also reacted negatively to the increasing instability.

On 13 February, an article in the state-controlled newspaper, Al-Ahram, questioned the inclinations ofGoogle Inc. and its executive and activist, Wael Ghonim, due to certain translation errors when using the

Google Translate engine that were perceived as dubious by some.[128] One reported error was translating anyfictitious phrase along the lines of "... occupies Israel" in Arabic into "Israel occupies..." in English. GoogleTranslate is a statistical translation engine that uses web search statistics rather than grammatical rules to

yield a probable translation.[129] Since "...occupies Israel" is a low-probability query owing to the fact thatIsrael has not been occupied and "Israel occupies..." is a higher-probability query on the other hand, thelimitation of statistical translation results in the inaccurate translation.

Reform process

See also: Egyptian constitutional review committee of 2011

The protests initiated a process of social and political reform byarticulating a series of demands. Reform began with PresidentMubarak's announcements that concessions would be made towardsreform and was highlighted by his resignation 18 days after theprotests started. The list of demands for broader changes in Egyptiansociety and governance, articulated by protesters and activists,includes the following:


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Demands of the protestors[130]

Demand Status Date

1. Resignation of president Mohammed Hosni Mubarak met 11 February

2. Canceling the Emergency Law announced[131] date not set

3. Dismantling the secret police

under discussions[Overthrown PresidentMubarak announcedbefore his resignationthat it would becanceled][31][citation needed]

4. Announcement by (Vice-President) Omar Suleiman that hewill not run in the next presidential elections met[132] 3 February

5. Dissolving the Parliament and Shura Council met 13 February

6. Releasing all prisoners taken since 25 January announced[citation needed] 20 February

7. Ending the curfew relaxed 11 February

8. Dismantling the university guards system

9. Investigation of officials responsible for violences againstprotesters and for the organised thuggery

10. Firing minister of information Anas el-Fiqqi and stoppingpropaganda from government owned media

met 12 February

11. Reimbursing shop owners for their losses during the curfew

12. Announcing the demands above on government televisionand radio met[citation needed] 11–18

February


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On 17 February, an Egyptian prosecutor ordered the detention of three ex-ministers, former Interior MinisterHabib el-Adli, former Tourism Minister Zuhair Garana and former Housing Minister Ahmed el-Maghrabi, anda prominent businessman, steel magnate Ahmed Ezz, pending trial on suspicion of wasting public funds. Thepublic prosecutor also froze the accounts of Adli and his family members on accusations that over 4 millionEgyptian pounds ($680,000) were transferred to his personal account by a head of a contractor company,while calling on the foreign minister to contact European countries and ask them to freeze the accounts of the

defendants.[133]

Meanwhile, the United States announced on the same day that it was giving Egypt $150 million in crucialeconomic assistance to help the key US ally transition towards democracy following the overthrow of longtime president Mubarak. US secretary of state Hillary Clinton said that William Burns, the undersecretary ofstate for political affairs, and David Lipton, a senior White House adviser on international economics, would

travel to Egypt the following week.[133]

On 19 February, a moderate Islamic party, named (Arabic: حزب الوسط الجديد) Al-Wasat Al-Jadid, or the NewCenter Party, which was outlawed for 15 years was granted official recognition by an Egyptian court. Theparty was founded in 1996 by activists who split off from the Muslim Brotherhood and sought to create atolerant Islamic movement with liberal tendencies, but its attempts to register as an official party wererejected four times since then. On the same day, Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq said 222 political prisonerswould be released. He said only a few were detained during the popular uprising and put the number of

remaining political prisoners at 487, but did not say when they would be released.[134]

On 20 February, Dr. Yehia El Gamal(ar) a well known activist and law professor, announced (on TVchannels) accepting a vice prime minister position at a new government that will be announced on 21–22February. He announced removing many of the previous government members to palliate the situation.

On 21 February, the Muslim Brotherhood announced it would form a political party for the upcomingparliamentary election, called the Freedom and Justice Party, which was to be led by Dr. Saad Ketatni.[135][136][137] Its spokesperson noted that "when we talk about the slogans of the revolution - freedom, social

justice, equality - all of these are in the Sharia (Islamic law)."[138]

Analysis

Women's role


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Political activist Gigi Ibrahim[139]

with her camera and a flower

Female Protesters holding up a sign

Egyptian women were front and center, in news clips and onFacebook forums, and even in the leadership during the Egyptian

revolution[140]. In Tahrir Square, women volunteers, some with theirkids, worked to support the protests. Many commentators credited thegreat numbers of women and children with the remarkable overall

peacefulness of the protesters in the face of grave provocations[140].Other citizen reporters in Tahrir Square noted that many women wereinvolved in the protests as the protests were demographically

inclusive[140]. Many wore headscarves and other signs of religiousconservatism, while others reveled in the freedom to kiss a friend or

smoke a cigarette in public[140]. Egyptian women also organized,strategized, and reported the events; Bloggers such as Leil Zahra

Mortada took grave risks to keep the world informed daily of the

scene in Tahrir Square and elsewhere[140].

Regional instability

Main article: 2010–2011 Middle East and North Africa protests

The Egyptian Revolution, along with the events in Tunisia, havesparked a wave of major uprisings. demonstrations and protests havespread across the Middle East and North Africa. To date Algeria,Bahrain, Iran, Jordan, Libya, Morocco and Yemen have all seenmajor protests, and minor incidents have occurred in Iraq, Kuwait,Mauritania, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan and Syria.

The military's role

Main article: Military of Egypt

The Egyptian Armed Forces enjoy a better reputation with the publicthan the police do, the former perceived as a professional body protecting the country, the latter accused ofsystemic corruption and illegitimate violence. All four Egyptian presidents since the 1950s have come fromthe military into power. Key Egyptian military personnel include the defense minister Mohamed Hussein

Tantawi and General Sami Hafez Enan, chief of staff of the armed forces.[141][142] The Egyptian military

totals around 468,500 well-armed active personnel, plus a reserve of 479,000.[143]

Online activism

We Are All Khaled Saeed is a Facebook group which formed in the aftermath of Saeed's beating and death.The group attracted hundreds of thousands of members worldwide and played a prominent role in spreadingand bringing attention to the growing discontent. As the protests began, Google executive Wael Ghonim

revealed that he was the person behind the account.[144] Another potent viral online contribution was madeby Asmaa Mahfouz, a female activist who posted a video in which she challenged people to publicly

protest.[145] Previously, Facebook had suspended the group because some of its administrators were using

pseudonyms, a violation of the company's 'Terms of Service.' [146]

Foreign relations

Main article: Foreign relations of Egypt

Foreign governments in the West including the US have regarded Mubarak as an important ally and supporter


16 of 26 03-03-2011 23:23

in the Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations.[31] After wars with Israel in 1967 and '73, Egypt signed a peacetreaty in 1979, provoking controversy in the Arab world. As provisioned in the 1978 Camp David Accords,which led to the peace treaty, both Israel and Egypt receive billions of dollars in aid annually from the UnitedStates, with Egypt receiving over US$1.3 billion of military aid each year in addition to economic and

development assistance.[147] Many Egyptian youth feel ignored by Mubarak on the grounds that he is not

looking out for their best interests and that he rather serves the interests of the West.[148] The cooperation ofthe Egyptian regime in enforcing the blockade of the Gaza Strip was also deeply unpopular amongst the

general Egyptian public.[149]

See also

Freedom in the WorldList of freedom indicesDemocracy in the Middle East2010–2011 Arab world protestsEgyptian Revolution of 1919List of modern conflicts in the Middle East2007–2008 world food price crisis

References

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%99s-revolution-death-toll-rises-384/) . Al Masry Al Youm. 22 February 2011. http://www.almasryalyoum.com

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^ "Revolution might not be a cure for Egypt's extreme poverty" (http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world

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^ "Q&A: What's Behind the Unrest?" (http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1473531/Q&A--What-s-behind-

the-unrest-) . SBS. 27 January 2011. http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1473531/Q&A--What-s-behind-

the-unrest-. Retrieved 29 January 2011.

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^ a b c d AFP (25 January 2011). "Egypt braces for nationwide protests" (http://www.france24.com/en/20110125-

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^ a b "Egypt activists plan biggest protest yet on Friday" (http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2011/0112.


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Documents

2011 Egyptian Revolution - Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia