| 2011 Egyptian protests | |
|---|---|
 Demonstrators marching on 25 January | |
| Location |  Egypt |
| Date | 25 January 2011 – ongoing |
| Characteristics | Demonstrations, riots, civil disobedience, self-immolations |
| Death(s) | At least 135 protesters, 12 policemen, 12 escaped prisoners, and one prison chief |
| Injured | At least 750 policemen and 4,000 protesters |
| Arrests | Over 1,000 |
The 2011 Egyptian protests are a series of street demonstrations, protests, and acts of civil disobedience that began in Egypt on 25 January 2011, a day selected by April 6 Youth Movement organisers to coincide with the National Police Day holiday. While localised protests had been common in previous years, the 2011 protests have been the largest demonstrations seen in Egypt since the 1977 Egyptian Bread Riots and "unprecedented" in scope, drawing participants from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds and faiths.
The demonstrations and riots started in the weeks after the Tunisian uprising, with many protesters carrying Tunisian flags as a symbol of their influence. Grievances for Egyptian protesters have focused on legal and political issues including police brutality, state of emergency laws, lack of free elections and free speech, and corruption, as well as economic issues including high unemployment, food price inflation, and low minimum wages. Demands from protest organizers included rights of freedom and justice, the end of the Hosni Mubarak regime, and a new government that represents the interests of the Egyptian people.
The Egyptian government has attempted to break up and contain protests using a variety of methods, mostly non-lethal including rubber bullets, batons, water cannons, and tear gas, but in some cases using live ammunition with fatalities resulting. As of 29 January, at least 105 protester deaths had been reported, and those injured number 750 policemen and 1,500 protesters. The capital city of Cairo has been described as "a war zone", and the port city of Suez has been the scene of frequent violent clashes. The government imposed a curfew that protesters defied and police or military did not enforce. The presence of Egypt's Central Security police, loyal to Mubarak, has been gradually replaced by the military troops, warmly received by protesters. In the absence of police, there has been some looting, and in response civilians have self-organized watch groups to protect key sites like museums and their own neighbourhoods.
International response to the protests has generally been supportive, with most governments and organizations calling for non-violent responses on both sides and peaceful moves towards reform. Meanwhile most governments have issued travel advisories and begun making attempts at evacuating their citizens from the country. The protests have captured worldwide attention due to the increasing integration of Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and other social media platforms that have allowed activists and onlookers to communicate, coordinate and document the events as they occur. Many countries saw their own solidarity protests in support of the Egyptians. As the level of publicity increased, the Egyptian government stepped up efforts to limit Internet access, especially to social media. The government turned off almost all Internet access and mobile phone service on the eve of major planned protests on Friday, causing a nationwide "blackout". In response there has been an outpouring of hacktivism with global groups attempting to provide alternative communication methods for the Egyptians. Some limited mobile service was resumed on Saturday, 29 January.
Egypt
Mubarak has made some initial changes to quell dissent, including dissolving his government, and appointing military figure and former head of Egypt's intelligence service Omar Suleiman as Vice-President. Mubarak asked aviation minister and former chief of Egypt's Air Force, Ahmed Shafiq, to form a new government. Opposition to the Mubarak regime has coalesced around Mohamed ElBaradei, with all major opposition groups supporting his role as a negotiator for some form of transitional unity government.
Background
Since the 1981 assassination of President Anwar Sadat, President Hosni Mubarak has headed Egypt's semi-presidential republic government and is the longest serving President in Egypt's history. Mubarak and his National Democratic Party (NDP) government have ruled under a continuous state of emergency with a heavy hand, cracking down on Islamic militants.
Emergency law
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| Demonstrator holding a sign (based on aLatuff cartoon) depicting a shoe with "25 January" written inside it flying at Mubarak's face (an allusion to Muntadhar al-Zaidi 's reaction to President George W. Bush's visit to Iraq). |
Emergency Law (Law No. 162 of 1958) was enacted after the 1967 Six-Day War, suspended for 18 months in the early 1980s, and continuously in effect since Anwar El Sadat's 1981 assassination.Under the law, police powers are extended, constitutional rights suspended, censorship is legalised, and the government may imprison individuals indefinitely and without reason. The law sharply limits any non-governmental political activity, including street demonstrations, non-approved political organisations, and unregistered financial donations.
The Mubarak government has used the reason of terrorism to continue extending emergency law,and has claimed that opposition groups like the Muslim Brotherhood could come into power in Egypt if the current government did not forgo parliamentary elections, confiscate the group's main financiers' possessions, and detain group figureheads—actions allowed under emergency law. Pro-democracy advocates in Egypt argue that this goes against the principles of democracy, which include a citizen's right to a fair trial and their right to vote for whichever candidate or party they choose. Human rights organisations estimate that in 2010 between 5,000 and 10,000 people were in long-term detention without charge or trial,and that in the 1990s the number of detainees was over 20,000.
Despite heavy-handed security measures, Copts and Egyptians broadly have accused the Egyptian government of negligence, failing to provide adequate security when a bomb exploded on New Year's Day in front of an Alexandria church, killing 23 Coptic Christians. It was suspected to have been detonated by the Gaza-based Army of Islam. Following the attacks many Christians protested in the streets, with Muslims later joining the protests. After clashing with the police, protesters in Alexandria and Cairo shouted slogans denouncing Mubarak's rule.
Police brutality
A leaked US embassy cable from 2009 described police brutality, including torture, as common and pervasive, and the government's efforts to combat it as ineffective and lacking in political will.The Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights has documented 567 cases of torture, including 167 deaths, by police that occurred between 1993 and 2007. 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. Mohamed ElBaradei, former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, led a rally in Alexandria against alleged abuses by the police and visited Saeed's family to offer condolences.
Corruption
Political corruption in the Mubarak administration's Ministry of Interior has risen dramatically, due to the increased power over the institutional system necessary to prolong the presidency.This has led to the imprisonment of political figures and youth activists without trials, illegal undocumented hidden detention facilities, and rejecting university, mosque, and newspaper staff members based on their political inclination. A parliamentary election in December 2010 was 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.
In 2010, Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index report assessed Egypt with a CPI score of 3.1, based on perceptions of the degree of corruption from business people and country analysts, with 10 being very clean and 0 being highly corrupt. Egypt ranked 98th out of the 178 countries included in the report.
Economic climate
Main article: Economy of Egypt
Egypt's economy was highly centralized during the rule of former President Gamal Abdel Nasser but opened up considerably under former President Anwar Sadat and current President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak. Cairo from 2004 to 2008 aggressively pursued economic reforms to attract foreign investment and facilitate GDP growth, but postponed further economic reforms because of global economic turmoil.
The international economic downturn slowed Egypt's GDP growth to 4.5 percent in 2009, predominately affecting export-oriented sectors, including manufacturing and tourism. Unemployment was rising. That year, the government implemented a $2.7 billion stimulus package favoring infrastructure projects and export subsidies, and considered up to $3.3 billion in additional stimulus spending in 2010 to mitigate the slowdown in economic growth.
At the beginning of 2010, analysts assessed the government of Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif would need to restart economic reforms to attract foreign investment, boost growth, and improve economic conditions for the broader population. Despite high levels of economic growth over the past few years, living conditions for the average Egyptian remained poor. It was reported in late 2010 that around 40 percent of Egypt's population of just under 80 million live on the fiscal income equivalent of roughly USD2 per day. A large part of the population also relies on subsidised goods.
Foreign relations
Foreign governments in the West including the United States have regarded Mubarak as an important ally and supporter in the Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations.As provisioned in the 1978 Camp David Accords, both Israel and Egypt receive billions of dollars in aid annually from the United States—Egypt receiving over US$1.3 billion of military aid each year in addition to economic and development assistance.The majority of Egyptians regard Mubarak as serving the interests of West and not the people, angering especially the youth.
Military
Egyptian Armed Forces
Some key Egyptian military personnel include Mohamed Hussein Tantawi the defense minister and Lieutenant General Sami Hafez Enan, chief of staff of Egypt's armed forces. All four Egyptian presidents since the 1950s have come from the military into power. The Egyptian military totals around 468,500 active personnel, plus a reserve of 479,000.Egypt spends 3.4 percent of its GDP on its military, 34th in the world.
Protests
Timeline
25 January – Day of Anger
Protesters marching on 25 January. Demonstrators later moved to al-Tahrir Square, in Downtown Cairo, where the main protests were being held.
On 25 January 2011, known as the "Day of Anger" (Arabic: يوم الغضب, IPA: [ˈjoːm elˈɣɑdɑb]) or the "Day of Revolt", protests took place in cities across Egypt, including Cairo, Alexandria, Suez and Ismailiya. Thousands protested in Cairo, with 15,000 alone occupying Tahrir Square; 20,000 in various locations across Alexandria, 200 demonstrators were in the southern city of Aswan, 2,000 in the eastern city of Ismailiya; and about 3,000 in the northern city of Mahallah.
Cairo protesters gathered in the morning in front of the High Court in the centre of Cairo within the framework of the activities of the protests taking place on National Police Day. The demonstration that was in front of the Supreme Court was larger than usual and was able to break the security cordon and head to Tahrir Square.
A policeman was reported to have died in Cairo, while in Suez two protesters died.[56] In Cairo, police forces used tear gas and water cannons against the protesters, who in turn threw stones at police, eventually forcing them to retreat. It has been reported that many police had been restrained in the use of violence. One policeman was quoted to have said to a protester that he had only three months of duty left and after that "I'll be on the other side of the barricade."
26 January
On 26 January, riots continued, with protesters numbering in the thousands, although no accurate estimate has yet been made. There was increased use of violence from both the protesters and the police, with one protester and one police official killed in Cairo. Suez experienced a dramatic uprising, with many being fired upon by live ammunition, and both protesters and police being beaten. Protesters in Suez also managed to set fire to several government buildings, including the police station.Police eventually retreated from Suez, though later the army[verification needed] took up the position of blocking protesters.[6
27 January
Protests were not as large on 27 January because preparations were being made for the planned large-scale uprising on 28 January. The Muslim Brotherhood declared full support for the protests, and members planned to take part during Friday's protests. Reformer and opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei promised to return in time for Friday's protests. ElBaradei also stated that if asked, he would take over as Egypt's president during the transitional period if Hosni Mubarak were to leave Egypt.
Later in the day a protester of Bedouin descent was shot dead by the police in the town of Sheikh Zoweid in the North Sinai region, bringing the death toll to seven.In Suez, the uprising continued and violence increased as more buildings were set on fire, including police posts. The population of Suez and the Sinai region were armed with firearms leading to armed revolts by protesters.
28 January – Friday of Anger
Protest in Cairo on 28 January
Thousands filled the streets across Egypt on Friday 28 January, called by some the "Friday of Anger" (Arabic: جمعة الغضب). It was also referred to as the "Day of Rage."Shortly before 1:00 am local time, hours ahead of the expected massive anti-government protests, the Egyptian government shut down internet services, although some people were still able to communicate using alternative means. Text messaging and mobile phone services also appeared to be blocked. All mobile phone operators in Egypt have been instructed to suspend services in selected areas. Under Egyptian legislation the authorities have the right to issue such an order and the operators are obliged to comply.
Shortly after Friday prayers, tens of thousands of Egyptians started protesting, and within hours the number rose to the hundreds of thousands. Potential presidential candidate Mohamed ElBaradei returned to Cairo and said that he planned to join the protesters. ElBaradei has been leading the protests in Giza. On 28 January ElBaradei was arrested at an anti-government rally and placed under house arrest. ElBaradei told Al Jazeera the next day that he was unaware of his house arrest.
An Al Jazeera report on the protests (in English)
Throughout the day, police fired tear gas, rubber bullets, and water cannons into crowds during violent clashes between authorities and anti-government protesters in Cairo, Alexandria, and throughout Egypt. Thousands in Suez stormed and took control of the police station, and then freed all protesters held under arrest there. In Port Said tens of thousands of protesters gathered and multiple government buildings were set ablaze. In Suez, police shot and killed at least one man taking part in the protests. The government issued a 6pm to 7am curfew, but protesters ignored it and were met by police tasked with enforcing it. In the evening, protesters set fire to one of the National Democratic Party (NDP) headquarters buildings in Cairo. While protesters paused for evening prayers, police continued firing tear gas.
The Egyptian government deployed military in Cairo, Alexandria, and Suez to assist the police. Protesters joined soldiers in protecting the Egyptian Museum, situated beside the burning ruling party headquarters. Al Jazeera also reported that in Suez the military wanted to avoid an openly armed confrontation with protesters.The same was reported in Alexandria.
A delegation led by the chief of staff of Egypt’s armed forces, Lt. Gen. Sami Hafez Enan, was in Washington, D.C. when the visit was truncated due to the protests. The sessions, an annual country-to-country military coordination, were being led for the U.S. by Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Alexander Vershbow. A meeting with Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, and other talks had been planned to extend to 2 February. However, in light of events in Egypt, the delegation left Washington to return home on 28 January. Before their departure Friday night, Vershbow urged the two dozen representatives of the largely American-funded Egyptian military "to exercise 'restraint,' the Pentagon said."
Amid reports of looting of government buildings, concerns were raised about the safety of the antiquities of the famous Egyptian Museum, which is near to the epicentre of the protests in Cairo, and Egyptian state TV in the evening announced that army commandoes had secured the museum. Prior to their arrival, young civilians had attempted to protect the museum by forming a human chain at its front gate. Despite this, at least two looters managed to gain entry during the night, apparently from the roof, and ripped the heads off two mummies and damaged a number of other smaller artifacts before being apprehended.
29 January
Demonstrators standing on an army truck in Midan Tahrir—Tahrir Square, Cairo on 29 January
The night of 28 January to 29 January was quieter in Cairo with fewer reports of looting than in previous days.
Multiple and widespread protests continued, with many protesters chanting, "Down with Mubarak". Chants of "the people and the army are one" were also heard, as the position of the army in the course of events continued to be critical but ambiguous.[89] By 2:00 pm local time, approximately 50,000 people had gathered in Midan Tahrir—Tahrir Square, 10,000 gathered in Kafr-al-Sheikh, and additional protests were held throughout Egypt. A curfew was announced by the army for Cairo, Alexandria and Suez from 4:00pm to 8:00am. The 6:00pm police curfew the previous day had had "almost no effect whatsoever", according to Al Jazeera English, and protesters continued to descend on Tahrir Square. Protesters also gathered at the Ministry of Interior, and three of them were killed by police when they tried to storm the building.
Protesters were described by reporters as more confident than the previous day and earlier, and even celebratory as they felt they were nearing their objective—the end of Mubarak's presidency—although they had no tangible evidence that it was coming about.[89] An eyewitness told Al Jazeera that people of all ages, men and women were present. Despite the curfew, people were on the streets and no one was attempting to stop them. Looting was also reported, while no police were visible on Cairo's streets.
Many tourists sites have been disrupted, with access to the Pyramids in Giza suspended. The resort town of Sharm-el Shaikh, however, has been calm.
Soldiers watching a protest in Midan Tahrir—Tahrir Square on 29 January
Consensus is spreading that some plainclothes looters are associated with the Egyptian regime's Central Security Forces, tasked with increasing a sense of disorder which would justify or motivate a return to State control. News from inside Alexandria as reported by an eye witness on Al-Arabiya news channel via phone, that a group of people captured a number of armed civilians trying to break into a local bank and after some investigation they learned that those armed civilians were actually part of the "Egyptian Undercover Police" with orders to create chaos. Emad Gad, an analyst with the Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, said that he has obtained information from a trustworthy source that "there have been orders from the very top to free known felons from the prisons, to arm them and to let them mingle with protesters."
In Beni Suef, south of Cairo, 17 protesters were shot dead by Egyptian police as they attempted to attack two police stations in the city. Eight more people were killed during protests in the city. In the Abu Zabaal prison in Cairo, eight people were killed as police clashed with inmates trying to escape. According to a Reuters tally, these deaths bring total death toll to at least 100; however, no figures could be accurately confirmed.
Tanks were reported on the streets of Suez. A police station was torched after protesters seized weapons stored inside before telling officers to get out. At first there was a presence of the Central Security Force, then army troops who were ordered into major cities to quell street fighting.
In the Sinai town of Rafah an enraged lynch mob killed three police officers.
30 January
Military vehicle with protester graffiti, reading: "Down with Mubarak", "No to Mubarak", "Mubarak the dictator has fallen" and "Leave, you thief!" on 30 January
Overnight, thousands of protesters continued to defy the curfew, and as the night progressed, troops and armoured vehicles were deployed across Cairo to guard key places such as train stations, major government buildings and banks. The army had insufficient capacity to patrol neighborhoods, thus residents set up militia committees armed with guns, clubs and knives to drive off looters and bank robbers. A heavy army presence (though no police) was also reported in Suez. Chaos was also rampant in Suez the previous night, but as day broke the streets remained relatively quiet. Like Cairo, many residents formed vigilante groups to protect their homes and businesses due to the absence of police. The military set up numerous checkpoints throughout the city.
By 6:00 local time, Tahrir Square was quiet with only few hundred people. Later in the morning, 3,000–5,000 protesters were reported as gathering at Cairo's central square, including hundreds of state judges protesting for the first time.They, among others, have called for a new constitution and a transitional government. Judges joined the Tahrir demonstrations. Soldiers were given orders to use live ammunition, but the army said the order would be refused since they were present to "protect the people." According to Al Jazeera Arabic, the army chief told protesters they would not be fired upon. Helicopters were monitoring the protests, and fighter jets were repeatedly flying low over the central square. After the first pass of the two Egyptian Air Force F-16's, the crowd cheered but subsequent passes triggered louder chants, laughing, and waving. The crowd did not disperse. Protesters were also reported picking up trash in Tahrir Square, as essential services were not working and that they wanted to "keep our country clean." Food and water was also offered at the scene.
Protesters in Tahrir Square, 30 January
Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, Egypt's Minister of Defence and Commander in Chief of the Egyptian Armed Forces, was seen with the protesters in Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo. As of 18:30, Mohammed ElBaradei had arrived in Tahrir Square and told that crowd that "what we have begun cannot go back." He also said "You are the owners of this revolution. You are the future. Our key demand is the departure of the regime and the beginning of a new Egypt in which each Egyptian lives in virtue, freedom and dignity." An opposition leader[who?] said that talks would not be held with Mubarak but only with the army. Mubarak was holding a meeting with his military commanders at the time.
By 10:55 local time, Al Jazeera's offices in Cairo were ordered to be closed. At the same time, all correspondents for the network had their credentials revoked.
The Muslim Brotherhood, along with the April 6 Youth Movement, "We are all Khaled Said," National Association for Change, Jan 25 Movement and Kefaya (the main organizers of the protests) gave their support to Mohammed ElBaradei to act as a negotiator in the formation of a tempory national unity government.There have been some calls for ElBaradei to assume the presidency.
President Mubarak asked the current aviation minister and former chief of Air Staff Ahmed Shafiq, to form a new government. Shafiq, a party loyalist, had often been mentioned as a potential successor to Mubarak due to his politically reliable nature.
The Egyptian Central Bank said all banks and the stock market would remain closed on Sunday, 30 January. Al Jazeera reported that 34 members of the Muslim Brotherhood were released from custody as their guards abandoned their posts. Police returned to the streets at about 10:30 pm except at Tahrir Square.
31 January
The night of 30 January to 31 January was quieter in Cairo with fewer reports of looting than in previous days.
Security officials announced that the curfew would start at 15:00 and threatened to shoot anyone who ignores the curfew, though eventually little or no action was taken as security and army personnel left Tahrir Square. Numerous cultural and sporting icons were present at Tahrir Square. Industrial strikes were also called in many cities.
Al Jazeera's television bureau was shut down in Cairo. Its journalists were then ejected from Cairo and Giza.
President Mubarak has sworn in his new cabinet in the hope that the unrest will fade. The protesters are not leaving and are still demonstrating on Tahrir Square to demand the downfall of Mubarak. The vice-president and the prime minister were already appointed.
1 February
The same Facebook group which set the date for the 25 January and 28 January protests scheduled a multi-million attendance march for 1 February.
Casualties
Arrests
Rows of Egyptian Central Security Forces on the Day of Anger
Activists reported that security agents have detained a number of protesters who were taking part in the 25 January demonstration. Twenty-five people have been arrested at Asyut, according to Gamal Eid, director of the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI). He also noted that security agents seized banners hoisted by the protesters. Security sources said that Asyut's police arrested approximately 50 young people the night before the 25 January demonstration and confined them in Central Security trucks An estimated 860 protesters had been arrested by the beginning of demonstrations on Tuesday.
Sources at the Muslim Brotherhood said a number of the group's members had been detained in Mohandessin before heading to join 25 January demonstration. Essam al-Erian, the main spokesperson for the Muslim Brotherhood, was detained on 28 January, along with other senior Muslim Brotherhood leaders.
Ayman Nour, the founder of the liberal opposition El-Ghad Party, tweeted that his son was taken by an unmarked car. Security forces arrested Guardian reporter Jack Shenker in Cairo, who secretly recorded his subsequent journey in a police van. After stopping near a government security headquarters outside the city, a policeman searched for Ayman Nour's son, however, the detainees overpowered him and escaped. Mohammed ElBaradei was also reported to be under house arrest.
On 31 January, six Al Jazeera journalists were arrested and their camera equipment was seized.
Deaths
This section may need to be updated. Please update this section to reflect recent events or newly available information, and remove this template when finished. Please see the talk page for more information. (January 2011)
Leading up to the protests, at least six cases of self-immolation were reported, including a man arrested while trying to set himself on fire in downtown Cairo.These cases were inspired by, and began exactly one month after, the acts of self-immolation in Tunisia triggering the 2010–2011 Tunisian uprising. Six instances have been reported, including acts by Abdou Abdel-Moneim Jaafar, Mohammed Farouk Hassan,Mohammed Ashour Sorour, and Ahmed Hashim al-Sayyed who later died from his injuries.
The death toll from the violence had risen to 54 dead and 1,000 injured by 28 January.[90] As of 29 January, at least 102 to 105 people were known to have died, many or most of them shot, based on body counts at morgues.The dead including 10 policemen, 3 of whom were killed in Rafah. The city of Suez has seen the most violence of the protests thus far. Eyewitness reports have suggested that the death toll there may be higher, although confirmation has been difficult due to a ban on media coverage in the area. Some online activists have referred to Suez as Egypt's Sidi Bouzid, the Tunisian city where protests started.
By 30 January At least 102 people had been killed and 2,000 injured since protests began, according to security and medical reports.<> 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.
Major flash point Confirmed death toll by 31 January 2011 Sources
Alexandria 36
Suez 38
Beni Suef 17
Thebes 1
Atfih 1
Cairo 25
The rest of North Sinai Region 2
Sheikh Zoweid 1
Aswan 0
Luxor 0
Rafah 3
Giza 0
Sharm El-Sheikh 0
Hurghada 0
Mansoura 2
Other places hit by protests (if any) 14
Total 163
Domestic responses
Government
The head of the Egyptian Shura Council's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, and also a part of the ruling party, said he does not believe the protests have ended yet. On 29 January, in response to the previous days' events, President Mubarak spoke on national television after midnight local time for the first time since the protests began. He said in his speech that despite a "point of no return" being crossed, national stability and law and order must prevail, that he had requested the government, formed only months ago, to step down, and that a new government would be formed. He made no offer to step down himself. On 29 January, Mubarak appointed Omar Suleiman, head of Egyptian Intelligence, as vice president, and Ahmed Shafik as prime minister.
Positions assigned in new government
Office Previous office holder New office holder
President Hosni Mubarak Hosni Mubarak
Vice President vacant Omar Suleiman
Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif Ahmed Shafik
Minister without portfolio; GIS Chief General Omar Suleiman vacant
Minister of Interior General Habib El Adly General Mahmoud Wagdy
Positions in previous government that are unresolved
Office Previous office holder
Opposition
The Muslim Brotherhood
In response to the 25 January events, the Muslim Brotherhood said: "Egypt is undergoing important events where the Egyptian people started a movement in Cairo and other cities in the country expressing their anger and denouncing the practices and violations by the system." Following Mubarak's speech they issued a statement following the speech reiterating demands for Mubarak's resignation and saying it was time for the military to intervene. The Muslim Brotherhood also said it would not be nominating a new president.
On 30 January, they called for all opposition group to unite while blaming Mubarak for the situation. The Muslim Brotherhood supports Mohammed ElBaradei's National Association for Change. The Guardian reported that Mohammed ElBaradei has been mandated by the Muslim Brotherhood and four other opposition groups to negotiate an interim "national salvation government." There were also demands by the Muslim Brotherhood that President Mubarak step down.
Mohammed ElBaradei
Mohammed ElBaradei called for ousting the regime, as in Tunisia. He said he was "proud of the protesters" and proud of the military, who by 29 January were the only state force on the streets of Cairo, with police nowhere to be seen. There were numerous individual public displays of affection and respect for soldiers manning positions on the streets. He urged the United States to end the "life support to the dictator" and that "It is better for President Obama not to appear that he is the last one to say to President Mubarak, It's time for you to go." April 6 Youth Movement, We are all Khaled Said Movement, National Association for Change, Jan 25 Movement and Kefaya (The main organizers of the protests) have asked Mohammed ElBaradei to act in the country's internal affairs and foreign affairs in the transitional phase, and the formation of a temporarily national salvation government on the 30th of January. Later that day, He formed a steering committee. The committee is comprised of Mohammed ElBaradei, Ayman Nour, Magdy Ahmed Hussain(ar), Mohammed Beltagui(ar), Abdul Jalil Mustafa, Abdel Halim Kandil(ar), Osama Al Ghazali Harb(ar), George Isaac(ar), Hamdeen Sabah(ar) and a youth from the leaders of the demonstrators.
Others
Amr Khaled, a Muslim televangelist, activist and preacher, said the future of our country needs a government to listen to the young people and respect them. Judges, who were particularly vocal about the independence of the judiciary during the presidential election in 2005 also joined talks about the interim government.
Ahmed Zewail, an Egyptian-American scientist, and the winner of the 1999 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, said that Egypt can not resolve the crisis without changing the system. He offered a proposal of four items to remove Egypt from the crisis and enter a new era. He said that reason for this proposal is his sense of duty towards Egypt and its youth.
Egyptian-born actor Omar Sharif called for Hosni Mubarak to step down.
Religious institutions
Coptic Orthodox Bishop Marcos of Shubra El-Khiema urged Christians not to join the demonstrations, saying that they do not know the goals of those responsible for launching the protests. During his weekly sermon Pope Shenouda III asked his followers to be calm for the second day of demonstrations during his weekly sermon. In spite of this, a number of young Christian activists joined the protests led by well-known Christians like member of the Wafd Party Raymond Lakah. Naguib Sawiris, the head of Orascom Telecom said that the appointment of Omar Suleiman as vice president may not satisfy protestors. "I think it is not enough. It’s a good step because the gentleman, Mr. Suleiman has a very good international reputation; he is from the system so he can at least ensure that the current transition to a more democratic regime can happen." Coptic thinker Rafiq Habib condemned the position of the Church but he stressed that the participation of Copts in the demonstrations are increasing day by day. Many of Al-Azhar Imams joined the protesters on 30th of January all over the country.
Media censorship and circumvention
A political cartoon by Carlos Latuff depicting Hosni Mubarak shutting down Internet, and about to be unplugged (ousted) by the country.
Beginning on the first day of protests the Egyptian government censored most of the media outlets inside Egypt and took measures to block social media websites which had helped protesters to spread news about the events on the ground. The success of the protests has been partly attributed to the involvement of tech savvy youth all over Egypt who were able to overcome the government blockades on social media.
On 27 January, it was reported on Twitter by many Egyptian and foreign reporters on the ground that the government had blocked text messaging and BlackBerry messaging services.] Twitter was sporadically blocked, then Facebook.
Al Jazeera said its television transmission had to be switched to another frequency as its signal on Nilesat was jammed. The network was again shut down in the country on 30 January and its bureau in Cairo was shut down. Al Jazeera said that Egyptian state media called on Egyptians to stop watching Al Jazeera claiming only they had the real story. A statement from the network denounced the move as an attempt to "stifle and repress" the freedom of the press in Egypt and that the network would continue its coverage regardless.
Starting just after midnight local time on the night of 27/28 January the Egyptian government almost entirely cut off Internet access in an act of unprecedented Internet censorship. About 3,500 Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) routes to Egyptian networks were shut down from about 12:10 am to 12:35 am 28 January. The shutdown happened within the space of a few tens of minutes, not instantaneously. According to Renesys, Telecom Egypt started shutting down at 12:12am, Raya/Vodafone at 12:13am, Link Egypt at 12:17am, Etisalat Misr at 12:19am, and Internet Egypt at 12:25am. Renesys interpreted the shutdown as people getting phone calls one at a time, telling them to take themselves off the air, rather than an automated system taking all providers down at once. Facebook confirmed a decrease in traffic from Egypt. A Border Gateway Protocol monitoring site in Vancouver, Canada, reported most of the primary AS (ISPs) dropping a large percentage if not all of route advertisements. Virtually all of Egypt's Internet addresses were unreachable, worldwide. In response, Egyptians used smartphones as modems, and even land lines with dial-up modems to make international calls to access the internet, fax machines in universities and embassies, and ham radio to circumvent the restrictions. Furthermore, the sole remaining functioning ISP, Noor, which had had eight percent of the market share in Egypt, has been reported by the Tor anonymity network on 30 January to be the source of a quadrupling of Tor clients from Egypt within twenty-four hours as of 30 January; the use of Tor has sky-rocketed due to the situation in Egypt.
Satirical graphic made in reaction to the internet blackout in Egypt
In response, the U.S. State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said that open communications must be allowed. About 24 hours after the blackout began, cellphone and smartphone e-mail access were restored, including Vodafone and Mobinil, though internet access was reportedly still down. Despite the internet blackout, Egyptians abroad have been leading initiatives to spread the news that they get by calling their relatives' landlines.
Financial markets
Although there are not many oil reserves in Egypt, Western governments are still very concerned about how commercial and economic stability will be affected by an unstable Egypt. The Suez Canal is one of the largest shipping arteries for crude oil, and shipping lanes for trade.
On 26 January, Egypt's EGX stock market index fell on speculation the instability would spread. The EGX30 has dropped almost 1,000 points since 13 January 2011. EGX dropped 6.1 percent on 26 January, and then another 6.2 percent on 27 January, before the chief of the stock market temporarily suspended trading due to marked losses in the first minutes of the opening session. The stock index closed the day down by 10.5 percent.
On 28 January, Fitch Ratings reduced Egypt's rating outlook to negative from stable, saying the upsurge in protests adds uncertainty to the political and economic outlook. They also suggested that they may cut the national credit rating. Egyptian dollar-denominated bond yields also rose to a record high as oil prices rose and global stock market indices sank.[196] International gold prices jumped more than US$20, the most in twelve weeks, to $1,341. The price of oil rose US$3.70 (4.3 percent) to US$89.34 on concern the instability would spread. On 30 January, Deputy Central Bank Governor Hisham Ramez said that the interbank market will "be a liquid market" when it opens after law and order is restored.
Regional markets
On 29 January, Saudi Arabia's Tadawul stock market index fell 6.4 percent, the most since 25 May 2010, on concern over Egypt's instability.
On 30 January, the Dubai Financial Market's General Index also fell 6.2 percent (the most since December 2009) during mid-day trading on concern "international investors are fleeing Middle East stock markets with justified risk aversion across the board." The Tadawul rebounded somewhat from the previous days crash, but Qatar's QE Index fell 3 percent, the most since 25 May and Abu Dhabi's ADX General Index also fell 3.7 percent. Kuwait's SE Price Index fell a narrower 1.8 percent, Oman's MSM30 fell 3 percent and Bahrain's All Share Index also fell a narrower 1.4 percent. Meanwhile, Israel's TA-25 Index fell almost 2.5 percent, the most since May 2010 as Ampal-American Israel Corporation, who own a stake in Egypt’s East Mediterranean Gas Company, fell by the most in nearly two years. Israeli government 10-year bond yields rose.
Rest of the world
On 31 January 2011, major European and Asian markets continued their fall from 28 January due to Egyptian unrest.
Mubarak's family
Gamal Mubarak, President Hosni Mubarak's son—who has been widely tipped as his successor—was reported by the U.S.-based Arabic website Akhbar al-Arab to have fled to London with his family on 25 January. Later reports said that Mubarak's family did not, in fact, flee. Al Jazeera's reporter in Cairo said that Gamal remained in Cairo and was attending a meeting of the ruling National Democratic Party. On 29 January it was reported that BBC Arabic had been told that Gamal and Alaa Mubarak had arrived in London with their respective families. Egyptian State Television has denied this report. On 25 January, the International Business Times reported a traceless rumour on Twitter that the Egyptian President's wife Suzanne Mubarak has left for London as well.
nternational reactions
Main article: International reactions to the 2011 Egyptian protests
International reaction to the protests has either been supportive of peaceful movements towards reform or cautious of change in the country. Some western countries with regional interests were hesitant to express full support for the protests, in the fear that destabilisation in the region could spread or negatively impact the delicate political balance in the Middle East.
Amr Moussa, the head of the Arab League, said he wanted to see a multi-party democracy emerge: "This new government should be just the beginning, just a new prime minister and new ministers does not necessarily mean a change, clear lines of policy will have to be declared."The European Union's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said Egyptian authorities should listen to their people, deal with their problems and respect their right to demonstrate, urging the "Egyptian authorities to respect and to protect the right of Egyptian citizens to manifest their political aspirations".[209] United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said that world leaders should see the Egyptian protests as a chance to address "legitimate concerns" of the Egyptian people.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli Foreign Ministry announced that they are keeping a close track of the situation, but are refraining from taking a political stance due to the sensitive nature of relations. Other Arab states governments were sympathetic to maintaining the status quo, while parties outside government supported the protests.
A joint statement by Prime Minister David Cameron, President Nicolas Sarkozy and Chancellor Angela Merkel of the UK, France and Germany, respectively, read: "We are deeply concerned about the events that we are witnessing in Egypt. We recognise the moderating role President Mubarak has played over many years in the Middle East. We now urge him to show the same moderation in addressing the current situation in Egypt...It is essential that the further political, economic and social reforms President Mubarak has promised are implemented fully and quickly and meet the aspirations of the Egyptian people.The Egyptian people have legitimate grievances and a longing for a just and better future. We urge President Mubarak to embark on a process of transformation which should be reflected in a broad-based government and in free and fair elections"
Non-governmental organisations expressed concern for a harsh crackdown on the part of the authorities and condemned the arrests.Human Rights Watch said Egyptian police had escalated the use of force against largely peaceful demonstrations and called it "wholly unacceptable and disproportionate".
There have been solidarity protests in many major cities around the world, also notably in fellow Arab states like Tunisia where the protests began.
Many countries have gradually increased their travel advisories and evacuation attempts as the protests have intensified and continued. Multinational corporations have also started to evacuate their expatriate workers.
(source:wikipedia)
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