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Democracy in Egypt

Democracy In Egypt

The recent protest in Egypt started with the protests that occurred in Tunisia, which led to the fall of the Tunisian government. This protest led to the ousting of longtime Tunisian dictator, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. Egyptians joined other protesters around the Arab world, protesting their autocratic government, high levels of corruption, and poverty. Protesters pointed a specific incident for their dissatification, which was the June 2010 beating death of Khaled Said. This was the motivation for their rage.

The protest started on Tuesday, January 25, 2011. Thousands of people began taking the streets. Many of them were protesting against poverty, unemployment, government corruption, and autocratic governance of president Hosni Mubarak, who ruled Egypt for thirty years. The government responded to this protest by blocking twitter, which was being used by organizers to organize protests. Internet was shut down after the Associated Press published a video of an Egyptian protester being shot.The Los Angeles Times is also reporting that Blackberry internet has been taken offline in Egypt. Egyptians citizens were extremely angry by the government response. Egypt proceeded to block facebook while polices took the streets, arresting and injuring citizens with their batons. With twitter and facebook already down, email and other social networks was down also. Text messaging was also blocked. Protesters and journalists began finding alternative ways of communicating.

On Janurary 28, about 24 people were killed and more then 1,000 people were injured during this hostile. President Mubarak ordered troops and tanks into cities overnight to end the riot. The next day, Mubarak appeared on state television to announce that while he would be dismissing the government, he will not resign. Mubarak said that the current government has been asked to resign and he would appoint a new one on Saturday. He didn't indicate that he planned to step down. Al Jazeera correspondent, Sherine Tadros tweeted in response, "Mubarak says he'll fire government but people are asking for regime change not a change in the regime!"

On February 1, Mubarak declared that he will surrender power when his term ends in September. About 1 million Egyptians protested throughout the country for Mubarak to resign immediately. Violence broke out between Pro-Mubarak and Anti-Mubarak groups in Tahrir Square. A mechanical engineer was arguing with a day factory worker. The worker wanted to give Mubarak a chance. He said, "We've waited 30 years, we can wait another 6 months." Protesters watched his speech on a giant TV set up in Tahrir square. They booed and waved their shoes over their heads showing no respect. Protesters were chanting, "Go, go, go! We are not leaving until he leaves," and one man screamed, "He doesn't want to say it, he doesn't want to say it."

The Egyptian government expelled Al Jazeera. Al Jazeera said the commander of the army tanks in downtown Cairo told protest leader that the army would take no action as long as the protest is peaceful. Hundreds of judges and Egypts defense minister joined the protest. The country's interior minister has been arrested by the army. Generals of the Egyptian army met with Mubarak and according to an unconfirmed reports Malta Today, the generals told Mubarak to quit.

A visiting representative of President Barack Obama told Mubarak that the United States sees his presidency at an end. Frank Wisner, a former U.S. ambassador to Egypt, who is a friend of the Mubarak, made it clear to him that the U.S "view that his tenure as president is coming to close." After five days of no social network connections, internet access resumed in the Egyptian cities of Cairo and Alexandria.

February 10, Hosni Mubarak refused to step down or leave the country. He said he would hand his powers to his vice president Thursday, remaining president and "ensuring regime control over the reform process." After Mubarak's speech, protest organizers called for the army to take action to remove him, and they vowed to continue the protest on Friday. Several hundred thousand people had packed into Tahrir Square, excited with high hopes that Mubarak would announce his resignation in his nighttime address. Instead, they were shocked as he spoke, They were very upset and couldn't believe he still wouldn't resign. In his speech he spoke as if he were still in charge, saying he was "adamant to continue to shoulder my responsibility to protect the constitution and safeguard the interests of the people." He vowed that he would remain in the country and said he was addressing the youth in Tahrir as "the president of the republic."

On February 11, Hosni Mubarak resigned as president and handed control to the military. Hundreds and thousands protesters crowded in Cairo's central Tahrir Square released in joy, waving Egyptian flags, and car horns and busting shots in the air.

Overall, throughout the entire protest, I believe the government took it too far blocking social networking throughout the area. Egyptians citizens have relatives other places outside of Egypt. How were they suppose to get into contact with them to let them know what's going on? Egyptians were standing up to the government. So why were they being punished? All they wanted and needed was change! At the end of the day, Egyptians finally got what they wanted throughout this protest which was the resignation of former President Hosni Mubarak.