2011 Youth Revolution of Egypt

Background Information

Why all the media attention ?

•80m population•Border with Israel•Suez Canal•Largest Arab nation and most influential

State of Emergency Law

• Constitutional provision for emergencies such as war• Been in continuous application since 1981, when

Mubarak assumed power• Prohibits demonstrations, censors newspapers, monitors

personal communications, detains indefinitely without charge

• Human Rights Watch reported in 2008 ~ 5,000 detainees without charge, some longer than 10 yrs

• Permits executive to refer civilians to military tribunal courts. Used in 2006 when civilian courts dismissed charges against 16 Muslim Brotherhood members.

• April 6-7, 2008 used to crush strike of textile workers in Nile Delta city, al-Mahalla al-Kubra.

Torture

Human Rights Watch found that law enforcement officers routinely and deliberately use torture and ill-treatment - in ordinary criminal cases as well as with political dissidents and security detainees - to coerce confessions, extract other information, or simply to punish detainees

Anti-Torture Laws Inadequate

Egyptian law provides only for sentences ranging from three to five years - penalties not commensurate with the seriousness of the crime of torture. The penal code further gives judges discretion to exercise clemency and reduce sentences, which they frequently do

US Govt Aware

US Ambassador in Cairo, Jan 15, 2009 Secret Cable Published Through Wikileaks

Police brutality in Egypt against common criminals is routine and pervasive. Contacts describe the police using force to extract confessions from criminals as a daily event, resulting from poor training and understaffing. … NGO contacts estimate there are literally hundreds of torture incidents every day in Cairo police stations alone.

Economic Corruption

•Mubarak accelerated process of privatization of state-owned corporations

•Govt sold its assets to Mubarak’s family members and allies for fraction of their worth

•Those cronies sold them to investors at true value, thus gaining tremendous wealth

•Production facilities closed to give cronies opportunity to import

•Cronies acquired monopolies in certain commodities, another great source of wealth

Parliamentary Elections

• Difficult to form new party• One-party system with rigged elections• In 2005, opposition won 1/5th of seats and govt

canceled elections in districts scheduled later in year

• In 2010, opposition won less than 2% of seats• 3 million expatriates not allowed to vote• Parliament is tool of Executive, since Mubarak is

the head of the National Democratic Party

Presidential Election Process Illegitimate

Each independent candidate needs to collect 250 endorsing signatures from members of the People’s Assembly (lower house of the parliament), the Shura Council (upper house of the parliament), and municipal councils. Currently, the ruling National Democratic Party dominates all of them by greater than 90 percent majorities.

Presidential Election Process Illegitimate

•No judicial supervision of the presidential election

•Presidential electoral commission composed of five judges and five public figures appointed by the NDP-controlled parliament

•No lifting of State of Emergency

•NDP monopoly on state-controlled media

Political Lack of democracy (president, government, political

parties & parliament not representing the people) Political suppression , torture Corruption on all levels

Economic Poverty Increase & widened gap between the rich &

the poor Unemployment rate increase Inflation

Other Educational deterioration

The Motives

Immediate resignation of President Mubarak and his government (the first and most important)

Formation of a temporary people government that does not involve the National Democratic Party followed by transparent elections

Termination of the emergency law & immediate release of detainees & demonstrators

To question & hold accountable the responsible

Freedom of expression and rights

The Demands

This movement was started by Egyptian youth. Ordinary people of all social classes, men and women, participate. No party, organization or leader can take credit for it.

There is solidarity between Muslims and Christians in the streets.

Demonstrations were peaceful. However, the police attacked demonstrators and destroyed property in order to legitimate tightening control.

Facts & Info

Mubarak’s Speech Friday 1/28

For first time since assumption of power in 1981, Mubarak appointed a vice-president. He appointed a new prime minister. Only 5 of the 24 members of the cabinet were dismissed and replaced.

Mubarak’s Speech Tues 2/1

Mubarak declared that he had not intended to seek reelection in September. He did not rule this out, nor did he rule out his son’s nomination. He did not change the cabinet, dissolve the parliament resulting from the recent fraudulent elections, did not lift the State of Emergency and did not discuss constitutional reforms. Nobody trusts his words and promises.

Political Vacuum?

•Deliberate strategy by Mubarak, who never appointed a VP and planned to transfer power to son Gamal

•Political parties handcuffed

•Society of Muslim Brothers banned

•Any independent gaining prominence would be removed from public office, undermined in his projects and discredited.

There Will not Be a Political Vacuum

•Youth who began uprising can form a national unity government with participation of leaders of existing opposition movements, parties, independents and technocrats

•Political personalities such as Ayman Nour, Amr Moussa, Muhammad elBaradei and many others exist to participate in transitional government

Muslim Brotherhood

• Began in 1940s as social reform and anti-colonialist organization

• After 1960s purges and repression, ended its secret organization and renounced violence in achieving its political aspirations

• In recent years, members have participated in parliamentary elections as independents

• Member of recently formed opposition coalition which seeks to negotiate with Egyptian government

• Neither marginal nor dominant, est 20-30%• US should not consider a threat

25 Jan – CairoTahrir Square in Cairo

25 Jan - Cairo

Protests

Protests

Christians and Muslims

26 Jan – CairoPolice violence started

More Violence

More Violence

26 Jan – CairoFires set by police forces

26 Jan – CairoFamous Journalist arrested

& many others

26 Jan - Cairo

27 Jan – SuezTear Gas bombs

This is how Mubarak used the $2 billion financial aid from the US - Against his own

people$1.3 billion for military equipment and the rest for economic assistance

27 Jan EveningEGYPT ISOLATED

28 JanDemonstrators welcoming the army

28 JanDay of Rage

Criminals set free to terrorize people

Police withdrew from streets

Chaos & robbery incidents by criminals released by the ministry of interior

More Chaos & robbery incidents

Neighborhood watch groups protect Cairo streets

Neighborhood watch groups protect Cairo streets

Neighborhood watch groups protect Cairo streets

Curfew from 5 pm to 8 am everyday, not respected by the demonstrators.

Banks are closed, people are running out of cash

Many grocery stores are closed and those open have very limited supplies.

Millions of demonstrators are in the streets now and in every part of Egypt not just Cairo.

The Current Status

References for materials in this presentation are available at:

http://scr.bi/AugustaEgypt

References