EGYPTIAN REVOLUTION (2011): CAUSES, DEVELOPMENT, CONSEQUENCES - HISTORY - 2025

The Egyptian Revolution of 2011 consisted of a series of protests that began on January 25, 2011 and ended on February 11 when the country's president, Hosni Mubarak, resigned from office. Due to the characteristics of the majority of the protesters, it has also received the name of the Youth Revolution.

Egypt had been under an emergency law since 1967 that practically eliminated all political and individual rights of the population. The corruption of the regime, the economic problems suffered especially by young people and the example of the protests that had taken place in Tunisia were the main causes of the beginning of the revolution.

Tahrir Square during the January 29 demonstrations - Source: Ahmed Abd El-Fatah from Egypt

The first of the demonstrations took place on January 25. That day, the youth of the country, using social networks, called a large protest in several cities. The main one took place in the capital, Cairo. The center of these protests was Tahrir Square, which soon became a symbol of the revolution.

The protesters' demands ranged from demanding that the president resign to democratizing the country. Mubarak resigned in February and was sentenced to death in a trial a year later.

Background

Egypt had had a presidential government system with authoritarian overtones for decades. Despite the popularity enjoyed by President Gamal Abdel Nasser, who led the country between 1954 and 1970, the truth is that political freedoms did not exist.

During that time, in addition, there was already the threat of the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist organization with a radical branch. In fact, they tried to assassinate Nasser in a failed attack.

That threat was one of the reasons why an Emergency Law was enacted in 1969 that basically abolished any political right of citizens.

Anwar el-Sadat

Nasser's successor was Anwar el-Sadat, who made his debut by imprisoning several former senior officials from the previous government. This marked a turn in Egyptian politics, since it went from being close to socialism and the USSR to strengthening relations with the United States.

Sadat took a series of measures to limit the role of the state and promote the arrival of foreign investment. These policies benefited the country's upper class, but increased inequality. More than 40% of its inhabitants lived in absolute poverty.

On the other hand, the government indebted the country until the debt was unpayable. Following IMF guidelines, Sadat eliminated all aid to the most basic products, leading to serious protests in early 1977. The army took it upon themselves to suppress the unrest, causing many fatalities.

Politically, the Sadat government persecuted liberal opponents and Islamists, imprisoning many members of both currents.

Finally, in October 1981, a group of soldiers belonging to the Islamic Jihad ended his life during a military parade. Among the injured was his replacement, Hosni Mubarak.

Hosni Mubarak

Hosni Mubarak took over the government after the assassination of his predecessor. His style of government was just as authoritarian as the previous one, although the accusations of corruption were much more numerous.

However, Mubarak won the support of the West because of his rapprochement with Israel. This led to the country receiving substantial financial aid from the United States annually. This country, in addition, gained great influence within the Egyptian army.

Mubarak's relationship with Israel plus his repressive policy against Islamists prevented the West from reacting to the clear violations of human rights committed by his government.

On the other hand, despite the financial aid received, the situation of the population continued to be very precarious. High demographics exacerbated this problem, especially among young people, with a very high unemployment rate.

Causes

Two events were those that made young Egyptians take to the streets at the beginning of 2011. The first had taken place the year before, when young Tunisians had also staged a series of protests that had managed to end the Ben Ali government.

This Tunisian revolution had started when a street vendor, Mohamed Bouazizi, immolated himself in protest at the actions of the police and the authorities, who had confiscated his small fruit stand.

Precisely, the second of the events that lit the fuse of the protests in Egypt was similar. In this case, a young man from Alexandria was beaten to death by the police.

His case was picked up by a website, from which the first demonstrations were called for fear that Mubarak would try to disconnect the internet.

In addition to both events, the so-called White Revolution had other deeper causes.

Lack of freedoms

The aforementioned Emergency Law approved in 1967 suspended the rights set forth in the Constitution. According to that legislation, the police had special powers and censorship of the media was established.

In the political sphere, the law allowed the government to prohibit activities that it considered contrary to its actions, as well as any type of demonstration against it.

Complaints filed by human rights defenders indicated that there were between 5,000 and 10,000 arbitrary arrests in 2010 alone

On the other hand, despite having renounced violence, the largest political group in the country, the Muslim Brotherhood, was outlawed, although the authorities did not hesitate to contact them when it was convenient for them.

Corruption

Mubarak's stage at the head of the country was characterized by episodes of corruption at all levels of the administration. To begin with, the police themselves and officials from the Interior Ministry were accused of taking bribes.

On the other hand, the government helped many big businessmen, supporters of Mubarak, to reach positions of power. From those positions they carried out maneuvers to control the economy. While much of the town was in need, these entrepreneurs continued to enrich themselves by taking advantage of their position.

Hosni Mubarak himself was charged with illicit enrichment. According to the opposition organizations, his fortune was estimated at 70 billion dollars.

All these facts were reflected in the position that the country occupied in the list that Transparency International made on the Perception of Corruption. In 2010, the North African country was ranked 98.

Economic problems

Since the rule of Anwar el-Sadat, inequality had increased in Egyptian society. His market liberalization measures only favored large businessmen, who also took advantage of their proximity to power. Meanwhile, large sections of the population lived in misery and the middle classes were experiencing difficulties.

All of this was exacerbated by the tourism crisis caused by several terrorist attacks in the 1990s. The main source of foreign exchange almost disappeared, without the government finding a way to replace it.

Unemployment levels, especially among young people, were very high, there was a lack of housing and inflation soared at certain times. In general, the younger generations, who led the revolution, had no hope for the future.

Mubarak succession

When the revolution broke out in Egypt, Hosni Mubarak had already been in power for three decades. For some time before, rumors had been heard in the country about his health problems, so they began to debate who could replace him.

The possibility that he would cede power to his son Gamal and that the regime would perpetuate itself provoked the indignation of young Egyptians.

Generational change

Another factor that caused the revolution was the great generational change that Egypt experienced. The population had increased since the 1950s to reach, in 2009, 83 million. Of these, 60% were young.

With high unemployment rates and hardly any public liberties, these young people were the ones who began to demand changes in the government system. Social networks, with a large presence in the country, served to organize the demonstrations.

Development

The Egyptian Revolution was not planned. A few months earlier, a page called We are all Khaled Said had been created on the internet, in homage to a young man who had been killed by the police. In a short time, the website had 100,000 followers.

In addition, many other Internet users also began to spread calls on social networks to attend the demonstration that, every year, was held on January 25. It was Police Day, a date used by protesters to protest the bad practices of this body.

According to the statements collected by the media, nobody could imagine the magnitude that the protest was going to acquire that year. Much less, its later repercussions.

Day of Wrath

The demonstration called for January 25, 2011, Tuesday, was dubbed the Day of Wrath. They took place not only in Cairo, but also in other cities in the country. Some 15,000 people gathered in the capital in Tahrir Square, while in Alexandria the number rose to 20,000.

Altogether, it became the most massive protest since those that occurred in 1977. Although peaceful in nature, the death of a policeman in El Cario was announced, as well as that of two young protesters in Suez.

The security forces reacted by throwing tear gas and some protesters responded by throwing stones. The police ended up withdrawing from the square.

The government, for its part, decreed the closure of Twitter, one of the most followed social networks in the country. Upon checking the scope of the protests, he also cut off access to other pages of the network and established censorship in the media.

Likewise, as had been customary every time there was a protest, he blamed the Muslim Brotherhood for being the conveners.

Wednesday January 26

Contrary to what had happened on other occasions, the demonstrations on the 25th continued the following day.

On the 26th, thousands of people also came to protest against the government. Violence began to grow, both from the police and from protesters. Two deaths were registered, one for each side.

More serious was the situation in Suez, where some used weapons and some government buildings caught fire. The army replaced the police to try to appease the protesters.

One of the most important events that occurred that day was the escape of Gamal Mubarak, the president's son. Together with his family, the alleged heir headed to London.

Transition day

On the 27th, Thursday, it was somewhat quieter in Cairo. A new massive demonstration had been called for the next day, so many decided to rest. The Muslim Brotherhood, who had not expressed their opinion, joined the convocation on Friday

For his part, Mohamed el-Baradei, an Egyptian politician who had been Director General of the UN International Atomic Energy Agency and was considered one of the possible leaders of the opposition to Mubarak, announced that he planned to return to the country if the president resigned.

Friday of Wrath

The demonstrations called for Friday 28, dubbed the Day of Wrath, were a complete success.

The usual protesters, young for the most part, were joined by thousands of others after the day's prayer. In a short time, hundreds of thousands of people were occupying the streets of Cairo.

Mohammed el-Baradei chose that day to return to the country. The politician did not address Tahrir, but instead tried to participate in the protests that were taking place in Giza. The police detained him during that day.

The government continued with its strategy of blocking the internet. He did the same with mobile phones. That day there were several police charges and the launching of tear gas. The confrontations between both sides grew in intensity.

In Suez, for their part, the protesters attacked several police stations and released several of those detained during the previous days.

In an attempt to defuse the situation, Mubarak promised changes in the components of his government and a series of legislative reforms. The day ended with 29 deaths.

Saturday January 29

Despite having been protesting for several days, the protesters showed no signs of wavering. The success of the Day of Wrath caused that, on January 29, they took to the streets again. On this occasion, the cry that was heard the most was that of "down Mubarak."

In an attempt to stop the protests, a curfew was declared in the country's major cities. This was supposed to start in the afternoon and last throughout the night, but the protesters ignored it.

The army begins to switch sides

As noted, the night curfew was ignored by the citizens of Cairo. The following morning, Sunday 29, Tahrir Square was once again the center of the demonstrations. Those gathered there demanded the election of a new government and the writing of a constitution.

In those moments the turning point in events occurred. The government ordered the soldiers present to shoot the protesters, but the military refused to do so.

In addition, that same day, the judges appeared in the square to join the protesters. Similarly, the commander in chief of the Armed Forces attended, which was considered as a sign that the army was abandoning Mubarak.

The Million People March

From social networks, a new march was called for February 1. The intention was to gather a million people to demand the resignation of Mubarak.

Although the number of protesters varies according to the sources, from the two million indicated by Al Jazzera to the one hundred thousand according to the EFE Agency, the truth is that the march was massive.

During the meeting, Mohamed el-Baradei made the following statements: “Mubarak must leave the country now to avoid a bloodbath. We are discussing the different alternatives to the post-Mubarak era. "

Mubarak supporters in Tahrir

Mubarak's latest move to prevent the fall of his government, once the army was no longer supporting him, was to turn to his supporters. Thus, on the 2nd, there were violent clashes between pro-government groups and protesters. The result of the day was 500 injured.

Friday February 4

Another great call was prepared for Friday, February 4. Mubarak opponents called this march Farewell Day, as they wanted to give the government the last push.

For their part, the president's supporters also organized. They called to be present in the streets, baptizing that day as that of loyalty.

The army took an ambiguous position. The tanks mobilized, but without acting against the protesters.

The Farewell Day again brought together about a million people in Cairo. In Alexandria, meanwhile, another half a million people demonstrated. In addition, they announced that if they tried to repress their fellow Cairots with violence, they would travel to the capital to support them.

President Mubarak gave an interesting interview to ABC that same day. In it, he stated that he was tired of remaining in office. His final words were: "I would go right now, but if I go there will be chaos," he added.

Mubarak resignation

On February 10, Hosni Mubarak gave a speech on television. During the meeting, he announced that he was delegating his functions to Omar Suleiman, the vice president. Likewise, he indicated that he would call elections in September after which he would definitively leave office.

However, the protesters considered these measures insufficient. The next day, Friday February 11, protests continued across the country.

At noon, a television station reported that Mubarak had left the country. Shortly after, the main Egyptian newspaper denied that news. Finally, Europa Press noted that the president was in Sharm el Sheikh, a well-known Egyptian tourist town. The rumors were happening and nobody knew very well what was happening.

Finally, already during the afternoon, an official statement issued by Vice President Suleiman announced the resignation of Hosni Mubarak.

The Armed Forces took over power, something that did not quite convince the protesters.

Consequences

The protesters achieved their main objective: the resignation of Mubarak and his government. However, the seizure of power by the military was received with quite a divided opinion.

In principle, the military government junta should only prepare elections. In reality, her main purpose was to maintain the privileges she had always had, beginning with US aid, which amounted to $ 1.3 billion annually.

New manifestations

The protesters' proposal that El-Baradei preside over a civilian provisional government until the new elections was rejected by the military.

Distrust of the army's intentions led the protesters to take to the streets again. In July 2011, protests were repeated in Tahrir Square.

The Chief of the Army, Mohamed Tantawi, relented and called elections to elect a new government.

Democratic elections

The voting took place on July 21, 2011. The winner, contrary to what the young people who organized the demonstrations had hoped months before, was Mohamed Morsi, candidate of the Muslim Brotherhood.

In this way, the Islamists, whose role in the protests had not been a protagonist, managed to reach power in the country. Then a stage of uncertainty opened.

Coup

Morsi's presidency only lasted a little over a year. Already in November 2012, several demonstrations were called against the bill that gave the presidential figure greater powers.

Later, in late June of the following year, protests intensified in Cairo. On this occasion, Morsi's resignation was directly requested.

After several days of tension, on July 3, the army, led by the head of the Armed Forces, Fatah al-Sisi, carried out a coup that overthrew the president. Since then Al Sisi, who has the support of the United States, has remained at the forefront of the country.

During the following months, terrorist attacks of Islamist origin occurred in the country, although they were not committed by the Muslim Brotherhood. The Egyptian economy was badly hit by the instability.

On the other hand, political and civil liberties remain almost as limited as during the Mubarak government.

Mubarak trial

The president deposed by the revolution was tried for the repression that was carried out against the protesters. In early May 2012, Mubarak was convicted, although he escaped charges of corruption and embezzlement by considering the judges who had prescribed.

Likewise, the children of the former president and other high officials of his government were acquitted in the trial.

In January 2013, a judge ordered a repeat trial. On this occasion, Mubarak was found innocent and released without charge in 2017.

Main characters

The White Revolution had no prominent leaders. Rather, it was a popular uprising organized by the internet, without any organization gaining prominence.

Hosni Mubarak

This politician came to the presidency of Egypt after the assassination of Anwar el-Sadat, in October 1981. From the beginning, his mandate had an authoritarian style and all opposition was repressed.

Mubarak held power for almost thirty years. During that period, several elections were called, but, except in one case, he was the only candidate.

The White Revolution of January and February 2011 caused the president to leave the presidency, pressured by the massive demonstrations against him.

Hosni Mubarak was arrested and tried for the violent crackdown on the 2011 protests. He was initially convicted, but two years later the trial had to be repeated and the former president was released.

Mohamed el-Baradei

In 2010, the politician founded the National Association for Change, which aimed to become an alternative to the Mubarak government. When the demonstrations broke out, El-Baradei returned to the country to participate in them.

He was viewed by many as the best-placed candidate to lead a transition to democracy in Egypt, but withdrew his candidacy in the 2011 elections because he did not trust the military that was organizing them.

After the coup against President Morsi, el-Baradei assumed the post of interim vice president. A month later, in August 2013, he resigned and left the country after showing his disagreement with the direction the ruling military junta was taking.

Wael ghonim

Although less known than the previous ones, Wael Ghonim's role in the Revolution was very relevant. This young Egyptian had been responsible for el-Baradei's social media profile in 2010.

The death at the hands of the police of a young Alexandrian businessman, Khaled Said, prompted Ghomin to create a Facebook page to remember him. In a short time, the page had more than half a million followers. Several of the demonstrations that took place during the Revolution were called from there.

Ghonim, who was in Dubai, arrived in Cairo just to take part in the first of the protests, on January 25. The Egyptian secret service arrested him just two days later.

The young computer scientist was released on February 7, so he was able to experience the fall of the regime in freedom.

Movement April 6

On April 6, 2008, a profile appeared on Facebook calling for Mahalla textile workers to strike.

The creators were a group of young people who baptized their organization as the April 6 Movement. Soon, the Mubarak police tried to finish off the group. Some of the founders were arrested.

Three years later, the April 6 Movement was still active. Together with Ghonim and many other young people they encouraged all Egyptians to participate in the protests against Mubarak. Likewise, they were in charge of coordinating and calling some of the demonstrations.

References

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