2011 Egyptian revolution

2011 Egyptian protests
Demonstrators marching on 25 January
Date	25 January 2011 – ongoing
Casualties
Death(s)	At least 135 protesters, 12 policemen, 12 escaped prisoners, and one prison chief
Injuries	At least 750 policemen and 4,000 protesters
Arrested	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. It is an ongoing conflict.

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.

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

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.

Demonstrator holding a sign (based on a Latuff cartoon) depicting a shoe with "25 January" written inside it flying at Mubarak's face. In Arab culture, the soles of the shoes are considered unclean and displaying or striking with the sole of one's shoe is considered an insult.

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.

Police brutality and torture

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.

Paramilitary riot police of the Central Security Forces deployed during the 25 January protest

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

Marching protesters on 25 January

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. The USA funds the Egyptian Armed Forces to the sum of $US1, 300,000,000 a year, second only to Israel.

Military

Main article: 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.

Alexandria church bombing

Main article: 2011 Alexandria bombing

Early on New Year's Day 2011 a bomb exploded in front of a church in Alexandria, killing 23 Coptic Christians. It was suspected to have been detonated by the Gaza-based Army of Islam. Some Copts accused the Egyptian government of negligence, and 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.

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. 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 took up the position of blocking protesters.

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. 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. 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

Allegations are 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.

Much chaos has also been reported at Cairo's international airport, where thousands of stranded and frightened foreigners are attempting to be evacuated back to their home countries.

The employee of the Azerbaijani embassy in Egypt was killed when he was returning home from work in Cairo. The next day by decree of President of Azerbaijan Ilhan Aliyev in Cairo had been sent a special plane to evacuate citizens of Azerbaijan.

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. About another 30 dead bodies were taken to El Damardash Hospital in central Cairo. The figure included 2 children.

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 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 temporary 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.

On the night of the January 30 Mubarak’s Sharm el-Sheikh holiday villa was guarded by a small fraction of armed and loyal police who turned away all approaching vehicles. Sharm el-Sheikh had seen no deaths and only a minimal amount of trouble. A number of military aircraft were visible from the local airport’s perimeter fence, though the airport is frequently used by the armed forces for operations. It was also one of the hubs for private air travel in and around Egypt, though most light aircraft had left the airport earlier in the day.

31 January

The night of 30 January to 31 January was quieter in Cairo, with fewer reports of looting than in previous days. For the fourth day in a row a curfew, with earlier times each day, has been violated without repercussion.

Security officials announced that the curfew would start at 15:00 and threatened to shoot anyone who ignored it, although 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, including Cairo.

Hundreds of thousands continued to protest today in Egyptian cities, with 250,000 protesters in Cairo alone. A protester was shot dead in Abu Simbel and extra troops were also moved to guard the Suez canal. For the first time during protests, there have been pro-Mubarak protests of at least 1,000 people, mostly from the neighbourhood watch groups.

Mohammed ElBaradei again joined thousands of protesters in Tahrir Square. He told the crowd, "What we have begun cannot go back", referring to the previous days of anti-government protests. The National Coalition for Change, an umbrella group that contains several opposition movements including the Muslim Brotherhood and pro-democracy groups, chose ElBaradei to negotiate with Hosni Mubarak.

The top Egyptian generals, led by Tantawi, held back the military.

Violence also began to decline in Cairo as looters burnt out a shopping mall. Egypt Air cancelled all internal and outbound flights. Though an inbound Egypt Air flight from London to Cairo was diverted to Athens due to an alleged bomb threat.

Reports emerged of several major prisons across the country being attacked. Law and order rapidly imploded across most of Egypt and the land was in a state of chaos.

1 February

The same Facebook group which set the date for the 25 January and 28 January protests scheduled a "million man march."

Cities

Suez

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.

Cairo

Cairo has been the centre of the most of the major protest. Most of the protests were held in the Liberation Sq. (Tahrir Sq.) in downtown cairo. On the first three days of the protests, there were clashes between the central security police and protesters. As of Friday 28th of January 2011 in the afternoon, police forces were withdrawn from Tahrir Sq. and most of cairo. Citizens formed groups of nighttime neighborhood patrollers armed with batons and knives to keep the order in the absence of the police forces. The army was supposed to be introduced to Cairo to replace the withdrawn police on Friday afternoon, but they were not in full control of the city when the police was withdrawn. This resulted in a widespread looting of shopping malls and public buildings which sometimes even extended to museums and private residences. Police was reintroduced to Cairo on the morning of Monday 31st of January 2011. A small group of protesters, reported to be around one thousand people are forming the only pro-Mubarak demonstrators seen since the start of the unrest. It is at rank 3 for location of most deaths of the conflict.

Alexandria

Alexandria, the home of Khaled Saeed, had major protests and clashes against the police. It currently is at rank 2 for locations with most deaths in this conflict.

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. The journalists were released later that day, though the equipment was still held.

Deaths

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. 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.

By 30 January At least 102 people had been killed and 2,000 injured since protests began, according to security and medical reports.<<REF16>> 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.

By the 1 February, the riots was leaving at least 125 people dead.

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
Abu Simbel	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	164

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

On 31 January, President Mubarak swore in his new cabinet in the hope that the unrest would fade. The protesters did not leave and continued to demonstrate on Tahrir Square to demand the downfall of Mubarak. The vice-president and the prime minister were already appointed. He told the new government to preserve subsidies, control inflation and provide more jobs.

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 during Friday of Anger

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, [[{{{1}}}]], [[{{{1}}}]], Abdul Jalil Mustafa, [[{{{1}}}]], [[{{{1}}}]], [[{{{1}}}]], [[{{{1}}}]] 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. Egyptian-born actor Omar Sharif called for Hosni Mubarak to step down. 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. Judges, who were particularly vocal about the independence of the judiciary during the presidential election in 2005 also joined talks about the interim government.

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 30 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 himself by the country.

Radio Cairo DNS error.

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.

File:Switch off internet in case of political dissent.jpg

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. 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.

International 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". 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"

U.S. President Barack Obama said: "The United States will always be a committed partner to that future, with the Egyptian government, and with the Egyptian people." He also noted that in his Cairo speech he had stated, "All governments must maintain power through consent, not coercion," and called upon the Egyptian government to restore its people's access to the internet. He called on all parties to refrain from violence in their efforts to bring about a solution. He also said that the Egyptian protesters have rights that are "universal," with the right to peaceful assembly and association, free speech and “the ability to determine their own destiny. "These are human rights," Obama said, "and the United States will stand up for them everywhere."

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.

See also

• Democracy in the Middle East
• List of modern conflicts in the Middle East
• 2010–2011 Arab world protests (Algeria, Yemen)

External links

• Al Jazeera English - Live coverage (streaming)
• Anger in Egypt - Al Jazeera English coverage
• Egyptian protests on Sharek by Al Jazeera Sharek Gallery
• Crowd-sourcing service used to cover the protests
• Egypt Erupts, January 2011 - slideshow by Life magazine
• Americans Protest in Support of Egypt - slideshow by The Huffington Post
• Juan Cole: "Egypt is a Praetorian Regime" - video by Democracy Now!
• Citizen Media coverage on Egypt Protests by Global Voices Online

Live blogs

• "Live Blog". Al Jazeera English.
• "Unrest in Egypt". Reuters.
• "Egypt Protests Live Blog". The Guardian.
• "The Lede — Latest Updates on Protests in Egypt". The New York Times.