Timeline of the 2011 Egyptian revolution under Supreme Council of the Armed Forces
Encyclopedia
The following is a chronological summary
of the major events that occurred during the 2011 Egyptian revolution
, after Hosni Mubarak
's resignation as the fourth President of Egypt
on 11 February.
was reduced to between midnight and 6:00 Eastern European Time
.
The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces
issued "Communiqué no. 4" in which they "promised to hand power to an elected, civilian government....[and] also pledged that Egypt would remain committed to all international treaties." Minister of Information
, Anas El-Fekky, had been placed under house arrest
, and later resigned from his position.
Egypt's stock market regulator said the trading, which was due to start on 13 February, was delayed until the 16 February.
Thousands of people also began to clean up Cairo's Tahrir Square, which had been disfigured by 18 days of rallies and sporadic street battles.
The army stated that the constitution was suspended and parliament was dissolved and that it would stay in power until the presidential
and parliamentary elections
could be held. The High Council of Egyptian Armed Forces had selected its chief to represent the council. The caretaker cabinet appointed by Mubarak would remain until a new cabinet was formed after the elections.
Police in the city of Bani Suef were protesting for better pay and more rights by lying down on a bridge. Hundreds of police also marched in Tahrir Square to show solidarity with the protesters. Waving Egyptian flags, the police demonstrators shouted, "We and the people are one", and said they wanted to "honor the martyrs of the revolution".
Jean-Claude Juncker
, the chairman of the Eurogroup, said he would support a freeze on the assets of Hosni Mubarak.
After an inventory was completed, it was determined that a total of 18 artifacts from the Egyptian Museum were missing. About 70 objects were damaged.
It was reported that the secretary-general of the Arab League
, Amr Moussa
, was to stand down and run in the upcoming elections.
Eight representatives from the demonstrators, including Wael Ghonim
and Amr Salama, met with spokespersons of the military and reported that there would be a referendum on changes to the constitution
within two months.
Military rulers called for an end to the strikes and protests. Thousands of state employees, including police, transit workers, and ambulance drivers, protested for better pay. In a statement, the ruling military council issued a final warning to the labor unions stating that the armed forces could intervene. They also imposed an outright ban on gatherings and strikes. In addition, the army cleared out most of the remaining demonstrators from Tahrir Square.
Tarek El-Bishry
, a retired judge known for his pro-opposition views and his support for a strong independent judiciary, was tasked with setting up the committee to reform the constitution
. The changes would be formally announced within ten days.
Adly Fayed, the director of public security at the interior ministry, and Ismail El Shaer, Cairo's security chief, have been fired over their decision to open fire on the demonstrators.
Hillary Clinton has told Al Jazeera that the US is hopeful that Egypt will become a model for democracy in the region.
Amr Moussa
announced on 15 February that he would run in the presidential election. The Muslim Brotherhood
announced on the same day that it would form the Freedom and Justice Party
to run in the parliamentary elections.
.
On 18 February, Muslim cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi
arrived in Egypt after his exile in Qatar
and led the "Victory Day" Friday sermon in Tahrir Square, which was attended by hundreds of thousands of people. Men, who appeared to be Qaradawi's guards, barred Wael Ghonim
from joining him on stage. On that same day, Wael Ghonim wrote the following on his Twitter: "I loved Sheikh Qaradawi Khutbah today. Was truly inspired when he said: 'Today I'm going to address both Muslims and Christians. Respect!'"
On 20 February, the constitutional reform committee stated that its work was almost done, and also announced that the caretaker government would soon be reshuffled.
On 21 February, David Cameron
, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, became the first world leader to visit Egypt since Mubarak was ousted as the president. A news blackout was lifted as the prime minister landed in Cairo for a brief five-hour stopover, which had been hastily added to the start of a planned tour of the Middle East.
A government reshuffle took place on 22 February, but the defense, interior, foreign, finance, and justice ministries remained unchanged. New ministers included Yehia el-Gamal as deputy prime minister, the New Wafd Party
's Monir Fakhri Abdel Nour
as tourism minister, the Tagammu Party's Gowdat Abdel-Khaleq as minister of social solidarity and social justice, and Ismail Ibrahim Fahmy as the new labor minister. The changes were not well-received by the public, because most of Mubarak's former supporters remained in the cabinet, and there were renewed calls for a demonstration to demand the resignation of the interim government. Protesters were also set to return to Tahrir Square to keep up the pressure on the interim government.
stepped down as Prime Minister and was replaced by Essam Sharaf
. Sharaf returned to Tahrir Square, which he had also visited during the revolution, to address the Friday mass rally.
The foreign, justice, interior, and oil ministers resigned and three new ministers were named: General and former governor of Minya
, Mansour El Essawi, became interior minister; Mohamed Abdel Aziz Al-Guindy became justice minister; and former judge Nabil Elaraby
was appointed foreign minister. Secretary General of the New Wafd Party
, Monir Fakhri Abdel Nour
, remained tourism minister. State television aired footage of the ceremony showing the prime minister and his Cabinet taking the oath before Field Marshal Mohammed Hussein Tantawi, who heads the ruling military council.
On 5 March, three weeks after Hosni Mubarak was ousted as President, Egyptians turned their anger toward his internal security apparatus by storming the agency's main headquarters and other offices in order to seize documents that would provide evidence of human rights abuses as well as preventing said documents from being destroyed. Following rumors that officials were destroying evidence, 200 protesters stormed the secret police headquarters in Cairo. The closing of the agency has been a key demand of the protesters but one which had not been heeded. Human rights abuses, including torture, were alleged to have been carried out inside it. The protesters stated that they stormed the building to secure evidence as they feared that it might be destroyed. The SSIS was announced dissolved on 15 March 2011, with a new National Security Force replacing it.
A group of youths who participated in the protests announced the formation of the Party of Youths for Change on 6 March 2011.
Mohamed ElBaradei stated on 9 March 2011 that he would run in the presidential elections.
On 19 March, the constitutional referendum
was held, with millions of Egyptians turning up to vote on nine proposed amendments to the constitution. Eager for their first free vote, Egyptians formed long lines outside polling centers to cast their ballots on constitutional amendments that were sponsored by the ruling military. In the lead up to the referendum, there was still dispute amongst the political movements and parties in Egypt about whether they should approve or reject the proposed constitutional amendments. 16 of those political parties and movements, including The Alliance of Women's Organizations, announced that they would reject the proposed amendments and call for the creation of a new constitution. The movements also renewed their calls for protests against the amendments to be held. Supporters of the amendments include the Muslim Brotherhood
, the Wasat Party, and the Labor Party. The proposed amendments were limited to nine articles, which many deemed to be insufficient as they failed to limit the power of the president, whilst others argued that the amendments were only a temporary measure and as such did not need to include all the changes that were requested, as the Constitution was to be completely redrafted after the parliamentary and presidential elections. This point has proven to be the most contentious with those who oppose the amendments. They claim that a redrafted Constitution will not be representative with the Egyptian presidential candidate Mohamed ElBaradei calling on all Egyptians to reject the proposed constitutional amendments, saying that a "Yes" vote will "provide a parliament not representative of the people, composed mainly of members of the National Democratic Party and benefiting businessmen, the opportunity to uphold a Constitution which is also not representative of the people, and this will take us backwards to a great extent.” ElBaradei was assaulted when he showed up at a school in Moqattam to vote.
The final results of the referendum were announced the next day: 77.2% of Egyptians voted "YES" to constitutional amendments, while 22.8% voted "NO". In total, 18,537,954 Egyptians voted out of around 45 million eligible voters, making the turnout 41%.
On 3 April, the Muslim Brotherhood called on its members to participate in the demonstrations in Tahrir Square on 8 April. Having withheld support for demonstrations held on 1 April because they coincided with Orphans' Day, the Brotherhood called for a large turnout to pressure the government to pursue cases against members of the old regime who remained in positions of influence after the revolution. The Brotherhood also suggested the name "Friday of Purging" for the event. The next day, employees of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Amonsito Textile Company demonstrated outside cabinet offices.
On 5 April, Egyptian authorities arrested Omneya Soliman, the former housing minister.
On 7 April, the National Association for Change seemed to accept the Brotherhood's proposal, calling for the "Friday of Prosecution and Purging", a million-man march on Tahrir Square, on 8 April. The NAC also proposed holding a mock "people's trial" of the regime figures for whom they demand the prosecution and/or removal of. While Friday protests in Tahrir Square had been a weekly event, million-man protests had not been seen for some time. The following day, protesters called for a "Friday of Cleansing" in which hundreds of thousands of demonstrators filled Tahrir Square again. They criticised the ruling SCAF for not following through on the protesters' previous demands. They called for the resignation of the remaining Mybarak-era figures and the removal of Egypt’s public prosecutor due to the slow pace of investigations of corrupt former officials.
On 9 April, the military used force to break up a camp that protesters had set up in Tahrir Square, as tensions also continued to build between the protesters and the military leadership that were running the country in the interim.
On 12 April, Hosni Mubarak was questioned in hospital by prosecutors. The following day the country's Prosecutor General ordered the detention of Mubarak and his two children, Alaa Mubarak
and Gamal Mubarak
, for 15 days. A statement from the Attorney General Egyptian published on its Facebook page said that the arrest warrant was issued after the prosecution presented the charges against them and in accordance with the development of the criminal investigations around the rioting that led to the fall of the regime.
On 15 April, thousands of protesters again marched from Shoubra to Tahrir in support of minority rights for Coptic christians.
On 16 April, the National Democratic Party
was dissolved and its assets transferred to the state. Mubarak's name was also removed from all public places on 21 April 2011.
On 23 April, Egypt ordered the former energy minister to stand trial for the natural gas deal with Israel. Three days later, the pipeline to Israel and Jordan was again attacked.
On 18 April, Iran appointed its first ambassador to Egypt since the Islamic Revolution.
On 29 April, demonstrators in Tahrir Square expressed solidarity with other Arab uprisings
.
Egypt also eased the blockade at the Rafah border crossing with Gaza
. Women, children, and men over 40 were allowed to pass freely while men aged between 18 and 40 would still require a permit. Though trade across the border remained prohibited, the crossing was opened between 9:00 – 21:00 every day except on Fridays and public holidays. The move was strongly opposed by Israel.
On 12 June, Ilan Grapel, accused for being an Israeli spy, was arrested by Egyptian authorities, who claimed that Grapel was sent to Egypt to build a team that had been “trying to gather information and data and to monitor the events of the 25 January revolution." The authorities also claimed that Grapel tried to incite violence amongst Egyptian protestors, hoping to spark a face-off with the military “and spread chaos in the Egyptian public and harm the state's political, economic, and social interests.” Grapel appears to be the same man who told Haaretz that he moved to Israel three years before its 2006 war with Lebanon and ended up enlisting in the Israeli Defense Force. Israel, however, has denied the reports, stating that “There is no such thing, no Israeli agent has been arrested in Egypt. These reports are false.” Friends and relatives of Grapel said that he is a law student in Atlanta with an avid interest in the Middle East, and not a Mossad agent out to sabotage Egypt’s revolution, as Egyptian authorities have charged. His mother said he arrived in Cairo in May, countering implications that he was involved in protests as early as February. The arrest of 27-year-old Ilan Grapel has sparked fears in Israel that relations with Egypt will sour now that Hosni Mubarak has been deposed. Later that year, Egyptian officials admitted Ilan Grapel was not a spy, and he was scheduled for release in exchange for 25 Egyptian prisoners held in Israel.
On 19 June, the military prosecution released the editor-in-chief of Al-Fagr, Adel Hammouda, and journalist Rasha Azab without bail pending further investigation. They were both interrogated on charges of publishing false news that disturbed the peace and negligence in the editorial process. Hammouda was released at around 13 pm, while Azab was released at around 16:30 pm after which she immediately led chants of “down with military rule.” Azab had written an article about a meeting between SCAF and prominent members of an advocacy group against military trials for civilians called “No to Military Trials” in which group members provided SCAF with proof and evidence of military violations against civilians. Azab said that Major General Hassan El-Roweiny was astonished when he saw the pictures and testimonies. She added that El-Roweiny apologized to one of the female witnesses for being violated in military prison, adding that individual actions don’t represent the morals or principles of the army.
On 20 June, Mubarak's lawyer, Farid el-Deeb, said that in 2010 the former president underwent "critical surgery" in Heidelberg, Germany to remove his gallbladder and part of his pancreas which were cancerous. el-Deeb told The Associated Press that "there is evidence suggesting that there is a recurrence of cancer and that it has reached the stomach,". He called Mubarak's condition "horrible" and said the former leader "doesn't eat and he loses consciousness quite often." Mubarak is hospitalized in Sharm el-Sheikh, the Red Sea resort where he has been living since he was removed from power.
On 21 June, Egypt's military rulers launched an online poll to test the popularity of potential presidential candidates, a move that could be aimed at judging public opinion for former officials who were trying to run for positions of parliament again. The list includes at least four ex-military officers as well as Islamists, judges, diplomats and others. Most have declared that they will run, including two former officers.
On 22 June, Egypt's cabinet approved a budget for the 2011–2012 fiscal year, boosting spending in social programs to meet the growing demands from the people after the uprising. The budget totals £490.6 billion ($83 billion), reflecting a spending increase of 14.7% over the current fiscal year, while revenues are forecast at $59 billion. On the same day, leaders of the youth wing of the Muslim Brotherhood have split with their elders to form an independent political party. This has deepened the fractures within the group as some of its prominent members have moved towards a more centrist and liberal version of Islamist politics. The new group, the Egyptian Current Party, is expected to advocate the separation of religion from politics, the protection of individual freedoms and the embrace of Islamic morals and culture without the enforcement of Islamic religious law. Its founders, including Islam Lotfy, Mohamed el-Kasaas and Mohamed Abbas, were amongst the young leaders of the Egyptian revolution and broke with the Brotherhood to help lead the first day of protests that brought down Hosni Mubarak.
On 26 June, John McCain
and John Kerry
visited Egypt at the head of a U.S. business delegation. Both politicians said that it was in America’s national security interests to see that the uprising succeeded. They said that Washington was not interested in dictating policy to Egypt. Instead, the focus was on finding ways to help the Arab world’s most populous nation boost its economy and address the needs of its people.
On 28 June, Egyptian security forces clashed with around 5,000 protesters in central Cairo. According to witnesses and medical officials, dozens of demonstrators were injured. Clouds of tear gas engulfed Tahrir Square as the security forces battled to regain control of the central plaza from the demonstrators, many of whom had family members who were killed during the revolution. The families were frustrated with what they perceived to be the slow prosecution of security officers who were believed to be responsible for the deaths of some 850 protesters during the 18-day uprising in February. As Tuesday's clashes moved into early Wednesday morning, rocks and shattered glass littered the streets around Tahrir, as protesters chanted "Down with the military junta". The demonstrators used motorcycles to ferry the injured to safety. According to the Health Ministry some 1,036 people were injured, among them at least 40 policemen. Early the next day there were still some demonstrators who were hurling stones at police near the ministry as commuters went to work.
On 4 July, an explosion at the pipeline
near Nagah in the Sinai Peninsula
halted natural gas supplies to Israel and Jordan. This was the third attack on Egyptian gas pipelines since Mubarak was removed from power. There was also a failed attempt to attack the pipeline in March.
On 8 July, hundreds of thousands of protesters gathered for what they called the "Friday of Determination" or the "March of the Million" in Suez, Alexandria, Cairo and other cities. They demanded immediate reforms and swifter prosecution of former officials
from the ousted government. Revolutionaries in Tahrir square also began another sit-in which is still ongoing.
Most of Egypt's political parties and coalitions supported widespread calls for the protest to be staged across Egypt. The protesters hoped to start a "second revolution". The main demand of these groups is to combine efforts toward achieving the goals of the revolution, including: banning the trial of civilians by military courts
; setting a minimum wage; bringing Mubarak, his sons and the senior officials to justice quickly; banning former National Democratic Party (NDP) members from political activity for five years; releasing all political prisoners; purging the police, the legal system, the media, the universities and the banks of members of the former regime; electing new municipal councils; stopping the export of natural gas to Israel; the arrest and trial of those responsible for killing protesters; and restructuring the ministry of interior. An employee of the Suez Canal University
said that in Ismailiya, there were also protests for higher wages and stable employment contracts. Protesters also called for the removal of Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, who was said to be emblematic of the old regime.
Several stages have been set up by the Revolution Youth Coalition
(a coalition of liberal parties and movements), the Muslim Brotherhood, the Wafd party and leftist parties in order to organise the protests. As the Muslim Brotherhood’s stage was the highest and largest, many protesters complained that they were attempting to gain an unfair advantage over the other political parties. These accusations were also compounded by the Muslim Brotherhood's opposition to a sit-in called by other political groups to pressure the Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF) into meeting their demands. Though the Muslim Brotherhood decided to join the protests only two days before the event, it said that it would avoid the sit-in and leave by 17:00. The event was used to rally support for the various groups by organizing their own tents and passing out paraphernalia.
On 9 July, Minister of Interior Mansour Essawy sacked the head of the Suez Security Police Osama El-Taweel and appointed Adel Abd El-Hamid as his replacement following clashes between families of those killed during the revolution and the Suez police. The clashes, in turn, followed accusations that the head of the Suez police had helped the police officers accused of killing protesters to escape trial after a court ruling released the officers on bail. Prime Minister Essam Sharaf also responded to the protests, saying that any member of the security forces who was accused of killing protesters would be sacked: "I have issued new instructions as a matter of urgency for the minister of interior to suspend any officers implicated in the killing of protesters. I have also demanded a swift return to the highest levels of security on the streets of Egypt to make them safe again and give our citizens the dignity they deserve." On the night of 10 July, gunmen blew up
an Egyptian natural gas pipeline to Israel and Jordan in the town of El-Arish in the Sinai Peninsula
. This is the fourth time this has occurred this year and the second time in less than a week
On 11 July, Prime Minister Essam Sharaf made a televised statement reassuring protesters that the government would respond to public demands and also included a timeline in which these demands would be met. The changes included a new cabinet to be formed within one week and a change in provincial governors before the end of the month. The protesters responded with calls for a million-man march the following day and continuation of their sit-in in Tahrir Square. The Muslim Brotherhood responded that they will not participate in the sit-in. The next morning the SCAF issued a statement, which was perceived as aggressive.
On 13 July, state television reported that Egypt's government had met a key demand of protesters by firing nearly 700 top police officers in order to cleanse the discredited and widely unpopular force. It was also reported that 37 of the dismissed officers face charges of killing protesters. Among those dismissed were 505 major-generals, including 10 of the interior minister's top assistants, 82 colonels and 82 brigadiers.
On 14 July, Mubarak told prosecutors that he did not order security forces to open fire on protesters during the initial uprising in February. Transcripts of prosecutors questioning Mubarak were published in two Egyptian newspapers, and judicial officials confirmed the authenticity of the documents. Mubarak said he issued clear instructions for police not to use force against the protesters. He also denied charges that he ordered or had knowledge of security forces firing on the demonstrators.
On 16 July, Maj. Gen. Tarek el-Mahdi briefly visited a protest camp in Tahrir Square but left after protesters, some holding shoes in anger, booed him off a stage. He had come to persuade a dozen demonstrators to end a hunger strike which had begun several days ago. El-Mahdi later told state television that he was disappointed that a small crowd of protesters managed to drive him out of the square before he could reach the tent housing the hunger strikers. Prime Minister Essam Sharaf also accepted the resignation of Foreign Minister Mohammed el-Orabi. He then appointed two new deputies, one of which was prominent economist and former head of the U.N. Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, Hazem el-Biblawi.
On 17 July, Sharaf named 12 new Cabinet members. State television dubbed the new government lineup the "Revolution Cabinet." Most of the ministers were newcomers as the government sought to placate further criticism by the protesters. Despite the cabinet reshuffle, many of the protesters said that they had no intention of calling off their week-old sit-in. One of the prominent members of the "Revolution Cabinet" is the Chief of Antiquities Zahi Hawass
. Hawass is a prominant member of Egypts archaeological community, but has been the target of protests himself. These protests were begun by archaeology students who accused him of falsely claiming publicity for himself and corruption.
Sharaf also accepted the resignation of Finance Minister Samir Radwan (the reason for his resignation was because his new budget was deemed by many protestors to be too conservative in dealing with the poverty which had been one of the main catalysts of the uprising) and the foreign minister, who was replaced by the former ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Mohammed Kamel Omar. Radwan's position was taken by prominent economist Hazem el-Biblawi, who had also been appointed deputy prime minister. There were also changes in the ministries of transport, military production, higher education, communication, agriculture, health, religious endowments, local development, trade and industry and civil aviation, with ministers being replaced.
On 21 July, the SCAF announced that it would bar foreign monitors in the upcoming parliamentary election
because of what it claimed was the preservation of Egyptian sovereignty.
On 23 July, Thousands of protesters tried to march to the Defense Ministry of Egypt in Cairo
when they were attacked by groups of men wielding knives, sticks, stones and molotov cocktail
s. It was the second time in two days that crowds had tried to march to the headquarters located in Heliopolis
. The march started moving from Tahrir Square at 4:00 pm, picking up more and more protesters as the march went onto Ramsis and then to the eastern Abbasiya neighbourhood where it was stopped by army barricades. The march was a reaction to the SCAF accused 6 April Youth Movement and Kefaya of treason and that their movements are harming "national interests" a day earlier. The violence broke out following a televised speech commemorating the 1952 coup by Field Marshal Mohammed Hussein Tantawi, head of the ruling military council, who attempted to diffuse tensions by praising young people who led the uprising that toppled Mubarak. The clashes broke out after civilians threw rocks from rooftops in adjacent buildings. Many in the crowd were thought by protesters to be thugs but some residents of the Abbassiya district were fearful protests in their neighborhood were obstructing business and normalcy. State media said the civilians fighting with the demonstrators were from "people's committees" protecting the neighborhood and the army had maintained all self-restraint, blaming the violence on protesters. Some Abbasiya residents appeared to believe protesters were seeking to create rifts between the army and the people. Military police, armed with Tasers and batons, fired in the air to stop the demonstrators from approaching the Defense Ministry. A Reuters witness said tear gas fumes were wafting outside the area as military helicopters circled overhead. The Health Ministry stated a total of 231 people were wounded in the violence.
, Egyptian soldiers clashed with protesters in Tahrir Square, tearing down tents the activists had used for the sit-in and where hundreds of protesters had been sleeping in the square since 8 July. Egyptian forces swinging electrified batons and shouting the battle cry "God is great
" swiftly chased off dozens of activists who had refused to end four weeks of renewed protests at Tahrir Square to pressure the country’s transitional military rulers. Hundreds of riot police backed by armored vehicles and soldiers moved in to tear down the camp of dozens of tents after a group of holdout activists — some of them relatives of people killed in the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak
in February — refused pleas over loudspeakers to go home. Some in the crowd hurled stones at the police. Protesters' rights groups said that the military police detained 66 people in the process. The removal of the Tahrir sit-in was a calculated political move. Average citizens had been growing weary of the lack of mobility in the central square, so when the military showed up on early Monday afternoon they were met with cheers. Most Egyptians supported the military’s actions.
The trial of Hosni Mubarak and his two sons Ala'a and Gamal, along with former interior minister Habib el-Adly and six former top police officials began on 3 August 2011 at a temporary criminal court at the Police Academy in north Cairo. The charges were corruption and the premediated killing of peaceful protestors during the mass movement to oust him, the latter of which carries the death penalty. The trial was broadcast on Egyptian television, with Mubarak making a surprise first appearance since his resignation, brought in on a hospital bed and held in a cage for the session. Upon reading out the charges to him, Mubarak pleaded not guilty, denying responsibility for the charges against him. Judge Ahmed Refaat adjourned the court, ruling that Mubarak be transferred under continued arrest to the military hospital on the outskirts of Cairo, with the second session scheduled for 15 August.
The trials of Mubarak and el-Adly were separated after the first session, and a second hearing was held for el-Adly's case on 4 August to release evidence regarding the killings of protesters. After hearing the complaints and requests of the defense lawyers, Judge Refaat proceeded to open numerous boxes of evidence for screening before the lawyers and audience. The evidence included documents of the Central Security Forces, their unit formations and organization, operational police logs and details of orders received and carried out during the protests, a jacket and pants of one of the victims of the protests riddled with bullet holes, guns, spent ammunition casings and grenades used during the protests. At the end of the hearing, Judge Refaat adjourned the trial to 14 August.
The conduct of individual defense lawyers in both sessions was widely criticized, being somewhat unruly and disorderly, and Judge Refaat demanded at least once during the second hearing that they assume order. That day, Interior Minister Mansour el-Esawy issued several warnings for police officers not to salute or greet el-Adly and the other accused men, and threatened that he would place the officers under investigation if they did so again.
On Friday, 6 August, protesters gathered in Tahrir once again, this time to hold a funeral prayer for one who died during the Abasseya clashes. Around 200 attended, and were prevented from moving to Tahrir Square. Later during the day, a festive iftar
was held in the square by protesters. After finishing, they were attacked by military police and central security forces, who dispersed them using force.
On 14 August, Asmaa Mahfouz
was arrested on charges of defaming the Egyptian military junta
for calling them a "council of dogs". She was referred to a military court, prompting activists, as well as presidential hopefuls such as Mohamed ElBaradei and Ayman Nour
, to protest her being charged in a military court. Mahfouz was released on bail in the amount of 20,000 Egyptian Pounds, equivalent to approximately 3,350 US dollars.
The major demands of the Friday were relieving the Mansour el-Essawy
(The current Minister of the Interior
), maintaining independence of the judiciary, closing the Israeli embassy in Cairo, amending the laws of the People's Assembly and Shura Council, and stopping military trials for civilians that began under the SCAF.
After gathering in Tahrir Square, the protest moved to the MOI
, then to the Supreme Constitutional Court of Egypt
, and finally towards the Israeli embassy. The 2011 Israeli embassy attack occurred later in Cairo, when Egyptian protesters entered the Israeli embassy after tearing down the wall surrounding the building that housed it. Police fired tear gas into the crowds. Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said that about 3,000 protesters had torn apart the wall, forcing the Israeli ambassador to Egypt
to flee. The military restored a state of emergency; Egyptian activists denounced the political manipulation of doing so.
, peaceful Egyptian protesters, calling for the dissolution the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, the resignation of its chairman, Field Marshal Mohamed Tantawi, and the dismissal of the governor of Aswan province, were attacked
by military police. At least 25 people were killed and more than 200 wounded. The protest began due to an attack on a Coptic Christian church in Merinab village in Aswan
on 30 September. Aswan governor Mustafa al-Seyyed said that Copts had built the church without having the proper permits. The 9 October attack was committed by both the Egyptian police force and military police using live ammunition, vehicles to run over protesters and extensive rounds of tear gas were fired.
The Army also stormed Al-Hurra TV station and 25 January TV stations, and took them off air. The State Media, which has become biased to military junta, asked on "honorable" Egyptians to protect the army against attacks by "Coptic protesters" even though the protesters were not only Copts.
The protesters are demanding the SCAF to step down from governing and politics, and hand over the authority to civilians. Other demands include banning former members of Hosni Mubarak
's regime from running in the next election, and rejection of the military's super-constitution (which restricts the power of the future elected representative in writing the new constitution, gives the military the power to select up to 80 percent of the membership committee that writes the new constitution, and removes the possibility of civilian control of the military
and Egypt's foreign policy which will allow the military to act as a state within a state
in Egypt, a system similar to Turkey's Deep State
before democratic reforms). The protesters state that the situation has not improved during the last 10 months under military government. Media and freedom of expression has become even more restricted, civilian political activists are being tried in military courts for insulting military, human rights situation has not improved, the emergency law (which gives government extra-ordinary powers and the right to ignore laws) continues, and the military junta continues to use the same methods that Mubarak was using. They are also angry at Field Marshal Tantavi's statement announced on TV which implies that military wants to remain involved in politics and will not return to baracks even after presidential elections.
On 19 November, two people were killed and 600 wounded in violent clashes after mass protests in Tahrir Square against the military junta regime. The protests started in reaction to the military unilaterally announcing a super-constitution that representatives elected for writing the constitution will not be able to change.
Egyptian medics say a police and army assault on anti-government protesters in Cairo has killed at least three people, raising the death toll in Egypt to at least five killed in two days of unrest. Police in Cairo lobbed teargas into crowds of protesters angry at the military government’s continued role in political life. Demonstrators kept control of Tahrir Square Sunday morning, and vowed to keep their revolution alive.
Protesters demanding faster reforms and establishment of civilian government took to the Tahrir square in Cairo, and also in other cities, and clashed with the security forces. On 21 November 2011, after several days of violent demonstrations in which more than 33 protesters lost their lives and over 1,500 were wounded, the provisional government offered its resignation to the supreme military council in reaction to the use of force against the protesters.
At a crisis meeting on 22 November 2011 between the political and the military leaders, the parties agreed for a new interim government to be formed, and to proceed with the scheduled parliamentary election on 28 November, with a goal of holding a presidential election before the end of June 2012. Also on the same day, the US State Department condemned the excessive use of force against the demonstrators by the Egyptian security forces.
Timeline of the 2011 Egyptian revolution
The following is a chronological summary of the major events that took place during the 2011 Egyptian revolution.- Before Mubarak's resignation :- January :...
of the major events that occurred during the 2011 Egyptian revolution
2011 Egyptian revolution
The 2011 Egyptian revolution took place following a popular uprising that began on Tuesday, 25 January 2011 and is still continuing as of November 2011. The uprising was mainly a campaign of non-violent civil resistance, which featured a series of demonstrations, marches, acts of civil...
, after Hosni Mubarak
Hosni Mubarak
Muhammad Hosni Sayyid Mubarak is a former Egyptian politician and military commander. He served as the fourth President of Egypt from 1981 to 2011....
's resignation as the fourth President of Egypt
President of Egypt
The President of the Arab Republic of Egypt is the head of state of Egypt.Under the Constitution of Egypt, the president is also the supreme commander of the armed forces and head of the executive branch of the Egyptian government....
on 11 February.
12–15 February
A group of activists issued the "People's Communiqué No 1", which imitated the titles of communiqués from the Army. It demanded the dissolution of the cabinet Mubarak appointed on 29 January, the suspension of the parliament elected in late 2010 in a poll that was widely suspected of being rigged, the creation of a transitional presidential council made up of four civilians and one member of the military, the formation of a transitional government to prepare for an election to take place within nine months and a body to draft a new democratic constitution, freedom for the media and syndicates and for the formation of political parties, and the scrapping of military and emergency courts. They also announced the formation of a council to organize mass protests. CurfewCurfew
A curfew is an order specifying a time after which certain regulations apply. Examples:# An order by a government for certain persons to return home daily before a certain time...
was reduced to between midnight and 6:00 Eastern European Time
Eastern European Time
Eastern European Time is one of the names of UTC+02:00 time zone, 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. It is used in some European countries that also use Eastern European Summer Time as a summer daylight saving time.- Usage :...
.
The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces
Supreme Council of the Armed Forces
The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces consists of a body of 20 senior officers in the Egyptian military. As a consequence of the Egyptian Revolution of 2011, the Council took the power to govern Egypt from its departing President Hosni Mubarak on February 11, 2011.The junta meets regularly, as...
issued "Communiqué no. 4" in which they "promised to hand power to an elected, civilian government....[and] also pledged that Egypt would remain committed to all international treaties." Minister of Information
Minister of Information
The Ministry of Information , headed by the Minister of Information, was a United Kingdom government department created briefly at the end of World War I and again during World War II...
, Anas El-Fekky, had been placed under house arrest
House arrest
In justice and law, house arrest is a measure by which a person is confined by the authorities to his or her residence. Travel is usually restricted, if allowed at all...
, and later resigned from his position.
Egypt's stock market regulator said the trading, which was due to start on 13 February, was delayed until the 16 February.
Thousands of people also began to clean up Cairo's Tahrir Square, which had been disfigured by 18 days of rallies and sporadic street battles.
The army stated that the constitution was suspended and parliament was dissolved and that it would stay in power until the presidential
Egyptian presidential election, 2011
A presidential election is expected to be held in Egypt in March or April 2012. It will be the second even remotely competitive presidential election in Egypt's history, following the 2005 election and presidential confirmation referendums in 1999, 1993, and earlier...
and parliamentary elections
Egyptian parliamentary election, 2011
An early parliamentary election is currently being held in Egypt from November 2011 onwards, following the revolution which ousted President Hosni Mubarak, after which the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces dissolved the parliament of Egypt...
could be held. The High Council of Egyptian Armed Forces had selected its chief to represent the council. The caretaker cabinet appointed by Mubarak would remain until a new cabinet was formed after the elections.
Police in the city of Bani Suef were protesting for better pay and more rights by lying down on a bridge. Hundreds of police also marched in Tahrir Square to show solidarity with the protesters. Waving Egyptian flags, the police demonstrators shouted, "We and the people are one", and said they wanted to "honor the martyrs of the revolution".
Jean-Claude Juncker
Jean-Claude Juncker
Jean-Claude Juncker is a Luxembourg politician, 23rd and current Prime Minister of Luxembourg, since 20 January 1995. He is the longest standing head of government of any European Union state...
, the chairman of the Eurogroup, said he would support a freeze on the assets of Hosni Mubarak.
After an inventory was completed, it was determined that a total of 18 artifacts from the Egyptian Museum were missing. About 70 objects were damaged.
It was reported that the secretary-general of the Arab League
Arab League
The Arab League , officially called the League of Arab States , is a regional organisation of Arab states in North and Northeast Africa, and Southwest Asia . It was formed in Cairo on 22 March 1945 with six members: Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan , Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. Yemen joined as a...
, Amr Moussa
Amr Moussa
Amr Mohammed Moussa is an Egyptian politician and diplomat who was the Secretary-General of the Arab League, a 22-member forum representing Arab states, from 1 June 2001 until 1 June 2011. He is a candidate in the 2011 Egyptian presidential election....
, was to stand down and run in the upcoming elections.
Eight representatives from the demonstrators, including Wael Ghonim
Wael Ghonim
Wael Ghonim is an Internet activist and computer engineer with an interest in social entrepreneurship....
and Amr Salama, met with spokespersons of the military and reported that there would be a referendum on changes to the constitution
Egyptian constitutional referendum, 2011
A constitutional referendum was held in Egypt on 19 March 2011, following the 2011 Egyptian revolution. More than 14 million were in favour, while around 4 million opposed the changes; 41% of 45 million eligible voters turned out to vote....
within two months.
Military rulers called for an end to the strikes and protests. Thousands of state employees, including police, transit workers, and ambulance drivers, protested for better pay. In a statement, the ruling military council issued a final warning to the labor unions stating that the armed forces could intervene. They also imposed an outright ban on gatherings and strikes. In addition, the army cleared out most of the remaining demonstrators from Tahrir Square.
Tarek El-Bishry
Tarek El-Bishry
Tarek El-Bishry is an Egyptian thinker and Judge, considered one of Egypt's top legal minds. On February 15, 2011 El-Bishry was appointed by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces to head the committee set up to propose constitutional changes in the aftermath of the Egyptian Revolution of 2011.-...
, a retired judge known for his pro-opposition views and his support for a strong independent judiciary, was tasked with setting up the committee to reform the constitution
Egyptian constitutional review committee of 2011
A committee formed in February 2011 by the Egyptian military following suspension of the constitution during the 2011 Egyptian revolution. The committee's purpose is to review the constitution of Egypt, to be ratified by a referendum.-Aims and composition:...
. The changes would be formally announced within ten days.
Adly Fayed, the director of public security at the interior ministry, and Ismail El Shaer, Cairo's security chief, have been fired over their decision to open fire on the demonstrators.
Hillary Clinton has told Al Jazeera that the US is hopeful that Egypt will become a model for democracy in the region.
Amr Moussa
Amr Moussa
Amr Mohammed Moussa is an Egyptian politician and diplomat who was the Secretary-General of the Arab League, a 22-member forum representing Arab states, from 1 June 2001 until 1 June 2011. He is a candidate in the 2011 Egyptian presidential election....
announced on 15 February that he would run in the presidential election. The Muslim Brotherhood
Muslim Brotherhood
The Society of the Muslim Brothers is the world's oldest and one of the largest Islamist parties, and is the largest political opposition organization in many Arab states. It was founded in 1928 in Egypt by the Islamic scholar and schoolteacher Hassan al-Banna and by the late 1940s had an...
announced on the same day that it would form the Freedom and Justice Party
Freedom and Justice Party (Egypt)
The Freedom and Justice Party , is an Islamist political party in Egypt. The party is nominally independent but has strong links to the Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt, the largest and best organized political group in Egypt...
to run in the parliamentary elections.
16–28 February
On 17 February, the army stated that it would not field a candidate in the upcoming presidential elections. Four important figures of the former regime were detained on that day: former interior minister Habib el-Adly, former minister of housing Ahmed Maghrabi, former tourism minister Zuheir Garana, and steel tycoon Ahmed EzzAhmed Ezz
Ahmed Ezz is a Egyptian businessman and one-time politician, the owner of Ezz Steel and the former chairman of Egypt's national assembly's budget committee...
.
On 18 February, Muslim cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi
Yusuf al-Qaradawi
Yusuf al-Qaradawi is a controversial Egyptian Islamic theologian. He is best known for his programme, ash-Shariah wal-Hayat , broadcast on Al Jazeera, which has an estimated audience of 60 million worldwide...
arrived in Egypt after his exile in Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
and led the "Victory Day" Friday sermon in Tahrir Square, which was attended by hundreds of thousands of people. Men, who appeared to be Qaradawi's guards, barred Wael Ghonim
Wael Ghonim
Wael Ghonim is an Internet activist and computer engineer with an interest in social entrepreneurship....
from joining him on stage. On that same day, Wael Ghonim wrote the following on his Twitter: "I loved Sheikh Qaradawi Khutbah today. Was truly inspired when he said: 'Today I'm going to address both Muslims and Christians. Respect!'"
On 20 February, the constitutional reform committee stated that its work was almost done, and also announced that the caretaker government would soon be reshuffled.
On 21 February, David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, became the first world leader to visit Egypt since Mubarak was ousted as the president. A news blackout was lifted as the prime minister landed in Cairo for a brief five-hour stopover, which had been hastily added to the start of a planned tour of the Middle East.
A government reshuffle took place on 22 February, but the defense, interior, foreign, finance, and justice ministries remained unchanged. New ministers included Yehia el-Gamal as deputy prime minister, the New Wafd Party
New Wafd Party
The New Wafd Party is a nationalist liberal party in Egypt.It is the extension of one of the oldest and historically most active political parties in Egypt, Wafd Party, which was dismantled after the 1952 Revolution. The New Wafd was re-established in 1983...
's Monir Fakhri Abdel Nour
Monir Fakhri Abdel Nour
Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour is an Egyptian politician. He is the Secretary-General of the Wafd Party and has been Minister of Tourism since 22 February 2011.- See also :*Cabinet of Egypt*List of Egyptians...
as tourism minister, the Tagammu Party's Gowdat Abdel-Khaleq as minister of social solidarity and social justice, and Ismail Ibrahim Fahmy as the new labor minister. The changes were not well-received by the public, because most of Mubarak's former supporters remained in the cabinet, and there were renewed calls for a demonstration to demand the resignation of the interim government. Protesters were also set to return to Tahrir Square to keep up the pressure on the interim government.
March
Before any large protests against him were planned, Ahmed ShafikAhmed Shafik
Ahmed Mohamed Shafik is a former senior commander in the Egyptian Air Force and politician who served as Prime Minister of Egypt from January 2011 to March 2011....
stepped down as Prime Minister and was replaced by Essam Sharaf
Essam Sharaf
Essam Abdel-Aziz Sharaf is an Egyptian academic who has been Prime Minister of Egypt since 3 March 2011. He served as Minister of Transportation from 2004 to 2005.-Early life and education:...
. Sharaf returned to Tahrir Square, which he had also visited during the revolution, to address the Friday mass rally.
The foreign, justice, interior, and oil ministers resigned and three new ministers were named: General and former governor of Minya
Minya Governorate
Minya Governorate is one of the governorates of Upper Egypt. The name originates from the chief city of the governorate, originally known in Sahidic Coptic as Tmoone and in Bohairic as Thmonē , meaning “the residence”, in reference to a monastery formerly in the area...
, Mansour El Essawi, became interior minister; Mohamed Abdel Aziz Al-Guindy became justice minister; and former judge Nabil Elaraby
Nabil Elaraby
Nabil Elaraby is an Egyptian diplomat, currently the Secretary-General of the Arab League having been elected on 15 May 2011. Previously, he was Foreign Minister of Egypt in Essam Sharaf's government from March-June 2011.-Early life and education:Elaraby holds a J.S.D. and an LL.M...
was appointed foreign minister. Secretary General of the New Wafd Party
New Wafd Party
The New Wafd Party is a nationalist liberal party in Egypt.It is the extension of one of the oldest and historically most active political parties in Egypt, Wafd Party, which was dismantled after the 1952 Revolution. The New Wafd was re-established in 1983...
, Monir Fakhri Abdel Nour
Monir Fakhri Abdel Nour
Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour is an Egyptian politician. He is the Secretary-General of the Wafd Party and has been Minister of Tourism since 22 February 2011.- See also :*Cabinet of Egypt*List of Egyptians...
, remained tourism minister. State television aired footage of the ceremony showing the prime minister and his Cabinet taking the oath before Field Marshal Mohammed Hussein Tantawi, who heads the ruling military council.
On 5 March, three weeks after Hosni Mubarak was ousted as President, Egyptians turned their anger toward his internal security apparatus by storming the agency's main headquarters and other offices in order to seize documents that would provide evidence of human rights abuses as well as preventing said documents from being destroyed. Following rumors that officials were destroying evidence, 200 protesters stormed the secret police headquarters in Cairo. The closing of the agency has been a key demand of the protesters but one which had not been heeded. Human rights abuses, including torture, were alleged to have been carried out inside it. The protesters stated that they stormed the building to secure evidence as they feared that it might be destroyed. The SSIS was announced dissolved on 15 March 2011, with a new National Security Force replacing it.
A group of youths who participated in the protests announced the formation of the Party of Youths for Change on 6 March 2011.
Mohamed ElBaradei stated on 9 March 2011 that he would run in the presidential elections.
On 19 March, the constitutional referendum
Egyptian constitutional referendum, 2011
A constitutional referendum was held in Egypt on 19 March 2011, following the 2011 Egyptian revolution. More than 14 million were in favour, while around 4 million opposed the changes; 41% of 45 million eligible voters turned out to vote....
was held, with millions of Egyptians turning up to vote on nine proposed amendments to the constitution. Eager for their first free vote, Egyptians formed long lines outside polling centers to cast their ballots on constitutional amendments that were sponsored by the ruling military. In the lead up to the referendum, there was still dispute amongst the political movements and parties in Egypt about whether they should approve or reject the proposed constitutional amendments. 16 of those political parties and movements, including The Alliance of Women's Organizations, announced that they would reject the proposed amendments and call for the creation of a new constitution. The movements also renewed their calls for protests against the amendments to be held. Supporters of the amendments include the Muslim Brotherhood
Muslim Brotherhood
The Society of the Muslim Brothers is the world's oldest and one of the largest Islamist parties, and is the largest political opposition organization in many Arab states. It was founded in 1928 in Egypt by the Islamic scholar and schoolteacher Hassan al-Banna and by the late 1940s had an...
, the Wasat Party, and the Labor Party. The proposed amendments were limited to nine articles, which many deemed to be insufficient as they failed to limit the power of the president, whilst others argued that the amendments were only a temporary measure and as such did not need to include all the changes that were requested, as the Constitution was to be completely redrafted after the parliamentary and presidential elections. This point has proven to be the most contentious with those who oppose the amendments. They claim that a redrafted Constitution will not be representative with the Egyptian presidential candidate Mohamed ElBaradei calling on all Egyptians to reject the proposed constitutional amendments, saying that a "Yes" vote will "provide a parliament not representative of the people, composed mainly of members of the National Democratic Party and benefiting businessmen, the opportunity to uphold a Constitution which is also not representative of the people, and this will take us backwards to a great extent.” ElBaradei was assaulted when he showed up at a school in Moqattam to vote.
The final results of the referendum were announced the next day: 77.2% of Egyptians voted "YES" to constitutional amendments, while 22.8% voted "NO". In total, 18,537,954 Egyptians voted out of around 45 million eligible voters, making the turnout 41%.
April
On 1 April, protesters called for a "Save the Revolution" day in which thousands of demonstrators filled Tahrir Square after Friday prayers demanded that the ruling military council move faster to dismantle lingering aspects of the old regime; it was the largest protest since Mubarak's resignation.On 3 April, the Muslim Brotherhood called on its members to participate in the demonstrations in Tahrir Square on 8 April. Having withheld support for demonstrations held on 1 April because they coincided with Orphans' Day, the Brotherhood called for a large turnout to pressure the government to pursue cases against members of the old regime who remained in positions of influence after the revolution. The Brotherhood also suggested the name "Friday of Purging" for the event. The next day, employees of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Amonsito Textile Company demonstrated outside cabinet offices.
On 5 April, Egyptian authorities arrested Omneya Soliman, the former housing minister.
On 7 April, the National Association for Change seemed to accept the Brotherhood's proposal, calling for the "Friday of Prosecution and Purging", a million-man march on Tahrir Square, on 8 April. The NAC also proposed holding a mock "people's trial" of the regime figures for whom they demand the prosecution and/or removal of. While Friday protests in Tahrir Square had been a weekly event, million-man protests had not been seen for some time. The following day, protesters called for a "Friday of Cleansing" in which hundreds of thousands of demonstrators filled Tahrir Square again. They criticised the ruling SCAF for not following through on the protesters' previous demands. They called for the resignation of the remaining Mybarak-era figures and the removal of Egypt’s public prosecutor due to the slow pace of investigations of corrupt former officials.
On 9 April, the military used force to break up a camp that protesters had set up in Tahrir Square, as tensions also continued to build between the protesters and the military leadership that were running the country in the interim.
On 12 April, Hosni Mubarak was questioned in hospital by prosecutors. The following day the country's Prosecutor General ordered the detention of Mubarak and his two children, Alaa Mubarak
Alaa Mubarak
Alaa Mubarak , or Alā'-ud-dīn Muhammad Husni Sayyid Mubarak is an Egyptian businessman and the elder of two sons of ousted president Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, who served from 1981-2011, and his wife Suzanne Mubarak....
and Gamal Mubarak
Gamal Mubarak
Gamal Al Din Mohammed Hosni Sayed Mubarak , , is the younger of the two sons of ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and former First Lady Suzanne Mubarak...
, for 15 days. A statement from the Attorney General Egyptian published on its Facebook page said that the arrest warrant was issued after the prosecution presented the charges against them and in accordance with the development of the criminal investigations around the rioting that led to the fall of the regime.
On 15 April, thousands of protesters again marched from Shoubra to Tahrir in support of minority rights for Coptic christians.
On 16 April, the National Democratic Party
National Democratic Party (Egypt)
The National Democratic Party , often simply called Al-Ḥizb al-Waṭaniy – the "National Party", was an Egyptian political party. It was founded by President Anwar El Sadat in 1978....
was dissolved and its assets transferred to the state. Mubarak's name was also removed from all public places on 21 April 2011.
On 23 April, Egypt ordered the former energy minister to stand trial for the natural gas deal with Israel. Three days later, the pipeline to Israel and Jordan was again attacked.
On 18 April, Iran appointed its first ambassador to Egypt since the Islamic Revolution.
On 29 April, demonstrators in Tahrir Square expressed solidarity with other Arab uprisings
Arab Spring
The Arab Spring , otherwise known as the Arab Awakening, is a revolutionary wave of demonstrations and protests occurring in the Arab world that began on Saturday, 18 December 2010...
.
May
On 24 May, it was announced that Mubarak and his two sons, Gamal and Alaa, would be tried over the deaths of anti-government protesters. On 28 May, Mubarak was fined $34m (£20m) for cutting off communications services during the uprising.Egypt also eased the blockade at the Rafah border crossing with Gaza
Gaza
Gaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
. Women, children, and men over 40 were allowed to pass freely while men aged between 18 and 40 would still require a permit. Though trade across the border remained prohibited, the crossing was opened between 9:00 – 21:00 every day except on Fridays and public holidays. The move was strongly opposed by Israel.
June
On 6 June, crowds of Egyptians dressed in black held demonstrations to honour Khaled Said, a young man from Alexandria who was beaten to death in 2010 in a savage attack which was blamed on police. This attack helped inspire the uprising that brought down Egypt's president. Pictures of his body, taken by his family in a morgue, caused public outrage that caused the January 2011 uprising. Hundreds of protesters stood side by side on Stanley Bridge in Alexandria in a silent protest commemorating the death of Said. The protesters neither held pictures or banners of Said; they only carried the Egyptian flag. They then marched to Said’s family’s home in Cleopatra. By the time they arrived there, more people joined, and the number of protesters reached about 1,500. They set a big monitor on the street screening a documentary on Said’s case and its development.On 12 June, Ilan Grapel, accused for being an Israeli spy, was arrested by Egyptian authorities, who claimed that Grapel was sent to Egypt to build a team that had been “trying to gather information and data and to monitor the events of the 25 January revolution." The authorities also claimed that Grapel tried to incite violence amongst Egyptian protestors, hoping to spark a face-off with the military “and spread chaos in the Egyptian public and harm the state's political, economic, and social interests.” Grapel appears to be the same man who told Haaretz that he moved to Israel three years before its 2006 war with Lebanon and ended up enlisting in the Israeli Defense Force. Israel, however, has denied the reports, stating that “There is no such thing, no Israeli agent has been arrested in Egypt. These reports are false.” Friends and relatives of Grapel said that he is a law student in Atlanta with an avid interest in the Middle East, and not a Mossad agent out to sabotage Egypt’s revolution, as Egyptian authorities have charged. His mother said he arrived in Cairo in May, countering implications that he was involved in protests as early as February. The arrest of 27-year-old Ilan Grapel has sparked fears in Israel that relations with Egypt will sour now that Hosni Mubarak has been deposed. Later that year, Egyptian officials admitted Ilan Grapel was not a spy, and he was scheduled for release in exchange for 25 Egyptian prisoners held in Israel.
On 19 June, the military prosecution released the editor-in-chief of Al-Fagr, Adel Hammouda, and journalist Rasha Azab without bail pending further investigation. They were both interrogated on charges of publishing false news that disturbed the peace and negligence in the editorial process. Hammouda was released at around 13 pm, while Azab was released at around 16:30 pm after which she immediately led chants of “down with military rule.” Azab had written an article about a meeting between SCAF and prominent members of an advocacy group against military trials for civilians called “No to Military Trials” in which group members provided SCAF with proof and evidence of military violations against civilians. Azab said that Major General Hassan El-Roweiny was astonished when he saw the pictures and testimonies. She added that El-Roweiny apologized to one of the female witnesses for being violated in military prison, adding that individual actions don’t represent the morals or principles of the army.
On 20 June, Mubarak's lawyer, Farid el-Deeb, said that in 2010 the former president underwent "critical surgery" in Heidelberg, Germany to remove his gallbladder and part of his pancreas which were cancerous. el-Deeb told The Associated Press that "there is evidence suggesting that there is a recurrence of cancer and that it has reached the stomach,". He called Mubarak's condition "horrible" and said the former leader "doesn't eat and he loses consciousness quite often." Mubarak is hospitalized in Sharm el-Sheikh, the Red Sea resort where he has been living since he was removed from power.
On 21 June, Egypt's military rulers launched an online poll to test the popularity of potential presidential candidates, a move that could be aimed at judging public opinion for former officials who were trying to run for positions of parliament again. The list includes at least four ex-military officers as well as Islamists, judges, diplomats and others. Most have declared that they will run, including two former officers.
On 22 June, Egypt's cabinet approved a budget for the 2011–2012 fiscal year, boosting spending in social programs to meet the growing demands from the people after the uprising. The budget totals £490.6 billion ($83 billion), reflecting a spending increase of 14.7% over the current fiscal year, while revenues are forecast at $59 billion. On the same day, leaders of the youth wing of the Muslim Brotherhood have split with their elders to form an independent political party. This has deepened the fractures within the group as some of its prominent members have moved towards a more centrist and liberal version of Islamist politics. The new group, the Egyptian Current Party, is expected to advocate the separation of religion from politics, the protection of individual freedoms and the embrace of Islamic morals and culture without the enforcement of Islamic religious law. Its founders, including Islam Lotfy, Mohamed el-Kasaas and Mohamed Abbas, were amongst the young leaders of the Egyptian revolution and broke with the Brotherhood to help lead the first day of protests that brought down Hosni Mubarak.
On 26 June, John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
and John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
visited Egypt at the head of a U.S. business delegation. Both politicians said that it was in America’s national security interests to see that the uprising succeeded. They said that Washington was not interested in dictating policy to Egypt. Instead, the focus was on finding ways to help the Arab world’s most populous nation boost its economy and address the needs of its people.
On 28 June, Egyptian security forces clashed with around 5,000 protesters in central Cairo. According to witnesses and medical officials, dozens of demonstrators were injured. Clouds of tear gas engulfed Tahrir Square as the security forces battled to regain control of the central plaza from the demonstrators, many of whom had family members who were killed during the revolution. The families were frustrated with what they perceived to be the slow prosecution of security officers who were believed to be responsible for the deaths of some 850 protesters during the 18-day uprising in February. As Tuesday's clashes moved into early Wednesday morning, rocks and shattered glass littered the streets around Tahrir, as protesters chanted "Down with the military junta". The demonstrators used motorcycles to ferry the injured to safety. According to the Health Ministry some 1,036 people were injured, among them at least 40 policemen. Early the next day there were still some demonstrators who were hurling stones at police near the ministry as commuters went to work.
July
A Facebook page entitled "The Second Egyptian Revolution of Rage" read: "Seeing that the situation, under the leadership of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, is only going from bad to worse, and since the council has proven from day one that public pressure is the most effective policy for achieving the demands of the legitimate revolution, we have decided to take to the streets and squares [once again] and demonstrate throughout Egypt until our demands are met..." On 1 July, tens of thousands of protesters gathered for what they termed the "Friday of Retribution" in Suez, Alexandria and Tahrir Square in Cairo to voice frustrations with the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces for what they perceived to be the slow pace of change five months after Mubarak's ousting.On 4 July, an explosion at the pipeline
Arab Gas Pipeline
The Arab Gas Pipeline is a natural gas pipeline in the Middle East. It exports Egyptian natural gas to Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, with a separate line to Israel. It has a total length of at a cost of US$1.2 billion.-Arish–Aqaba section:...
near Nagah in the Sinai Peninsula
Sinai Peninsula
The Sinai Peninsula or Sinai is a triangular peninsula in Egypt about in area. It is situated between the Mediterranean Sea to the north, and the Red Sea to the south, and is the only part of Egyptian territory located in Asia as opposed to Africa, effectively serving as a land bridge between two...
halted natural gas supplies to Israel and Jordan. This was the third attack on Egyptian gas pipelines since Mubarak was removed from power. There was also a failed attempt to attack the pipeline in March.
On 8 July, hundreds of thousands of protesters gathered for what they called the "Friday of Determination" or the "March of the Million" in Suez, Alexandria, Cairo and other cities. They demanded immediate reforms and swifter prosecution of former officials
Trials and judicial hearings following the 2011 Egyptian revolution
The trials and judicial hearings following the 2011 Egyptian Revolution were a series of legal moves to establish accountability among the various Egyptian government officials and prominent businessmen....
from the ousted government. Revolutionaries in Tahrir square also began another sit-in which is still ongoing.
Most of Egypt's political parties and coalitions supported widespread calls for the protest to be staged across Egypt. The protesters hoped to start a "second revolution". The main demand of these groups is to combine efforts toward achieving the goals of the revolution, including: banning the trial of civilians by military courts
Human rights in Egypt under the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces
Human rights in the post-Mubarak transition have been the subject of concern and controversy since the 2011 Egyptian revolution. The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces -Torture:...
; setting a minimum wage; bringing Mubarak, his sons and the senior officials to justice quickly; banning former National Democratic Party (NDP) members from political activity for five years; releasing all political prisoners; purging the police, the legal system, the media, the universities and the banks of members of the former regime; electing new municipal councils; stopping the export of natural gas to Israel; the arrest and trial of those responsible for killing protesters; and restructuring the ministry of interior. An employee of the Suez Canal University
Suez Canal University
The Suez Canal University is an Egyptian university serving the Suez Canal area, having its faculties divided among the Suez Canal governerates . It was established in 1976. It is notable for its non-classic research...
said that in Ismailiya, there were also protests for higher wages and stable employment contracts. Protesters also called for the removal of Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, who was said to be emblematic of the old regime.
Several stages have been set up by the Revolution Youth Coalition
Coalition of the Youth of the Revolution
The Coalition of the Youth of the Revolution is a coalition of organisations of young people involved in the Egyptian Revolution of 2011.-Members:Members include:* The April 6 Youth Movement* A youth organisation of the Muslim Brotherhood...
(a coalition of liberal parties and movements), the Muslim Brotherhood, the Wafd party and leftist parties in order to organise the protests. As the Muslim Brotherhood’s stage was the highest and largest, many protesters complained that they were attempting to gain an unfair advantage over the other political parties. These accusations were also compounded by the Muslim Brotherhood's opposition to a sit-in called by other political groups to pressure the Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF) into meeting their demands. Though the Muslim Brotherhood decided to join the protests only two days before the event, it said that it would avoid the sit-in and leave by 17:00. The event was used to rally support for the various groups by organizing their own tents and passing out paraphernalia.
On 9 July, Minister of Interior Mansour Essawy sacked the head of the Suez Security Police Osama El-Taweel and appointed Adel Abd El-Hamid as his replacement following clashes between families of those killed during the revolution and the Suez police. The clashes, in turn, followed accusations that the head of the Suez police had helped the police officers accused of killing protesters to escape trial after a court ruling released the officers on bail. Prime Minister Essam Sharaf also responded to the protests, saying that any member of the security forces who was accused of killing protesters would be sacked: "I have issued new instructions as a matter of urgency for the minister of interior to suspend any officers implicated in the killing of protesters. I have also demanded a swift return to the highest levels of security on the streets of Egypt to make them safe again and give our citizens the dignity they deserve." On the night of 10 July, gunmen blew up
Arab Gas Pipeline
The Arab Gas Pipeline is a natural gas pipeline in the Middle East. It exports Egyptian natural gas to Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, with a separate line to Israel. It has a total length of at a cost of US$1.2 billion.-Arish–Aqaba section:...
an Egyptian natural gas pipeline to Israel and Jordan in the town of El-Arish in the Sinai Peninsula
Sinai Peninsula
The Sinai Peninsula or Sinai is a triangular peninsula in Egypt about in area. It is situated between the Mediterranean Sea to the north, and the Red Sea to the south, and is the only part of Egyptian territory located in Asia as opposed to Africa, effectively serving as a land bridge between two...
. This is the fourth time this has occurred this year and the second time in less than a week
On 11 July, Prime Minister Essam Sharaf made a televised statement reassuring protesters that the government would respond to public demands and also included a timeline in which these demands would be met. The changes included a new cabinet to be formed within one week and a change in provincial governors before the end of the month. The protesters responded with calls for a million-man march the following day and continuation of their sit-in in Tahrir Square. The Muslim Brotherhood responded that they will not participate in the sit-in. The next morning the SCAF issued a statement, which was perceived as aggressive.
On 13 July, state television reported that Egypt's government had met a key demand of protesters by firing nearly 700 top police officers in order to cleanse the discredited and widely unpopular force. It was also reported that 37 of the dismissed officers face charges of killing protesters. Among those dismissed were 505 major-generals, including 10 of the interior minister's top assistants, 82 colonels and 82 brigadiers.
On 14 July, Mubarak told prosecutors that he did not order security forces to open fire on protesters during the initial uprising in February. Transcripts of prosecutors questioning Mubarak were published in two Egyptian newspapers, and judicial officials confirmed the authenticity of the documents. Mubarak said he issued clear instructions for police not to use force against the protesters. He also denied charges that he ordered or had knowledge of security forces firing on the demonstrators.
On 16 July, Maj. Gen. Tarek el-Mahdi briefly visited a protest camp in Tahrir Square but left after protesters, some holding shoes in anger, booed him off a stage. He had come to persuade a dozen demonstrators to end a hunger strike which had begun several days ago. El-Mahdi later told state television that he was disappointed that a small crowd of protesters managed to drive him out of the square before he could reach the tent housing the hunger strikers. Prime Minister Essam Sharaf also accepted the resignation of Foreign Minister Mohammed el-Orabi. He then appointed two new deputies, one of which was prominent economist and former head of the U.N. Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, Hazem el-Biblawi.
On 17 July, Sharaf named 12 new Cabinet members. State television dubbed the new government lineup the "Revolution Cabinet." Most of the ministers were newcomers as the government sought to placate further criticism by the protesters. Despite the cabinet reshuffle, many of the protesters said that they had no intention of calling off their week-old sit-in. One of the prominent members of the "Revolution Cabinet" is the Chief of Antiquities Zahi Hawass
Zahi Hawass
Zahi Hawass is an Egyptian archaeologist, an Egyptologist, and former Minister of State for Antiquities Affairs. He has also worked at archaeological sites in the Nile Delta, the Western Desert, and the Upper Nile Valley....
. Hawass is a prominant member of Egypts archaeological community, but has been the target of protests himself. These protests were begun by archaeology students who accused him of falsely claiming publicity for himself and corruption.
Sharaf also accepted the resignation of Finance Minister Samir Radwan (the reason for his resignation was because his new budget was deemed by many protestors to be too conservative in dealing with the poverty which had been one of the main catalysts of the uprising) and the foreign minister, who was replaced by the former ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Mohammed Kamel Omar. Radwan's position was taken by prominent economist Hazem el-Biblawi, who had also been appointed deputy prime minister. There were also changes in the ministries of transport, military production, higher education, communication, agriculture, health, religious endowments, local development, trade and industry and civil aviation, with ministers being replaced.
On 21 July, the SCAF announced that it would bar foreign monitors in the upcoming parliamentary election
Egyptian parliamentary election, 2011
An early parliamentary election is currently being held in Egypt from November 2011 onwards, following the revolution which ousted President Hosni Mubarak, after which the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces dissolved the parliament of Egypt...
because of what it claimed was the preservation of Egyptian sovereignty.
On 23 July, Thousands of protesters tried to march to the Defense Ministry of Egypt in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
when they were attacked by groups of men wielding knives, sticks, stones and molotov cocktail
Molotov cocktail
The Molotov cocktail, also known as the petrol bomb, gasoline bomb, Molotov bomb, fire bottle, fire bomb, or simply Molotov, is a generic name used for a variety of improvised incendiary weapons...
s. It was the second time in two days that crowds had tried to march to the headquarters located in Heliopolis
Heliopolis
-Placenames:*Heliopolis , the ancient city in Egypt*Heliopolis , a suburb in modern Cairo, Egypt* Heliopolis of Phoenicia, modern Baalbek, Lebanon...
. The march started moving from Tahrir Square at 4:00 pm, picking up more and more protesters as the march went onto Ramsis and then to the eastern Abbasiya neighbourhood where it was stopped by army barricades. The march was a reaction to the SCAF accused 6 April Youth Movement and Kefaya of treason and that their movements are harming "national interests" a day earlier. The violence broke out following a televised speech commemorating the 1952 coup by Field Marshal Mohammed Hussein Tantawi, head of the ruling military council, who attempted to diffuse tensions by praising young people who led the uprising that toppled Mubarak. The clashes broke out after civilians threw rocks from rooftops in adjacent buildings. Many in the crowd were thought by protesters to be thugs but some residents of the Abbassiya district were fearful protests in their neighborhood were obstructing business and normalcy. State media said the civilians fighting with the demonstrators were from "people's committees" protecting the neighborhood and the army had maintained all self-restraint, blaming the violence on protesters. Some Abbasiya residents appeared to believe protesters were seeking to create rifts between the army and the people. Military police, armed with Tasers and batons, fired in the air to stop the demonstrators from approaching the Defense Ministry. A Reuters witness said tear gas fumes were wafting outside the area as military helicopters circled overhead. The Health Ministry stated a total of 231 people were wounded in the violence.
August
On 1 August, the first day of RamadanRamadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and...
, Egyptian soldiers clashed with protesters in Tahrir Square, tearing down tents the activists had used for the sit-in and where hundreds of protesters had been sleeping in the square since 8 July. Egyptian forces swinging electrified batons and shouting the battle cry "God is great
Takbir
The Takbīr or Tekbir is the Arabic term for the phrase ' . It is usually translated "God is [the] Greatest," or "God is Great". It is a common Islamic Arabic expression...
" swiftly chased off dozens of activists who had refused to end four weeks of renewed protests at Tahrir Square to pressure the country’s transitional military rulers. Hundreds of riot police backed by armored vehicles and soldiers moved in to tear down the camp of dozens of tents after a group of holdout activists — some of them relatives of people killed in the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak
Hosni Mubarak
Muhammad Hosni Sayyid Mubarak is a former Egyptian politician and military commander. He served as the fourth President of Egypt from 1981 to 2011....
in February — refused pleas over loudspeakers to go home. Some in the crowd hurled stones at the police. Protesters' rights groups said that the military police detained 66 people in the process. The removal of the Tahrir sit-in was a calculated political move. Average citizens had been growing weary of the lack of mobility in the central square, so when the military showed up on early Monday afternoon they were met with cheers. Most Egyptians supported the military’s actions.
The trial of Hosni Mubarak and his two sons Ala'a and Gamal, along with former interior minister Habib el-Adly and six former top police officials began on 3 August 2011 at a temporary criminal court at the Police Academy in north Cairo. The charges were corruption and the premediated killing of peaceful protestors during the mass movement to oust him, the latter of which carries the death penalty. The trial was broadcast on Egyptian television, with Mubarak making a surprise first appearance since his resignation, brought in on a hospital bed and held in a cage for the session. Upon reading out the charges to him, Mubarak pleaded not guilty, denying responsibility for the charges against him. Judge Ahmed Refaat adjourned the court, ruling that Mubarak be transferred under continued arrest to the military hospital on the outskirts of Cairo, with the second session scheduled for 15 August.
The trials of Mubarak and el-Adly were separated after the first session, and a second hearing was held for el-Adly's case on 4 August to release evidence regarding the killings of protesters. After hearing the complaints and requests of the defense lawyers, Judge Refaat proceeded to open numerous boxes of evidence for screening before the lawyers and audience. The evidence included documents of the Central Security Forces, their unit formations and organization, operational police logs and details of orders received and carried out during the protests, a jacket and pants of one of the victims of the protests riddled with bullet holes, guns, spent ammunition casings and grenades used during the protests. At the end of the hearing, Judge Refaat adjourned the trial to 14 August.
The conduct of individual defense lawyers in both sessions was widely criticized, being somewhat unruly and disorderly, and Judge Refaat demanded at least once during the second hearing that they assume order. That day, Interior Minister Mansour el-Esawy issued several warnings for police officers not to salute or greet el-Adly and the other accused men, and threatened that he would place the officers under investigation if they did so again.
On Friday, 6 August, protesters gathered in Tahrir once again, this time to hold a funeral prayer for one who died during the Abasseya clashes. Around 200 attended, and were prevented from moving to Tahrir Square. Later during the day, a festive iftar
Iftar
Iftar , refers to the evening meal when Muslims break their fast during the Islamic month of Ramadan. Iftar is one of the religious observances of Ramadan and is often done as a community, with people gathering to break their fast together. Iftar is done right after Maghrib time...
was held in the square by protesters. After finishing, they were attacked by military police and central security forces, who dispersed them using force.
On 14 August, Asmaa Mahfouz
Asmaa Mahfouz
Asmaa Mahfouz is an Egyptian activist and one of the founders of the April 6 Youth Movement. She has been credited by journalist Mona Eltahawy and others with helping to spark mass uprising through her video blog posted one week before the start of the 2011 Egyptian revolution...
was arrested on charges of defaming the Egyptian military junta
Supreme Council of the Armed Forces
The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces consists of a body of 20 senior officers in the Egyptian military. As a consequence of the Egyptian Revolution of 2011, the Council took the power to govern Egypt from its departing President Hosni Mubarak on February 11, 2011.The junta meets regularly, as...
for calling them a "council of dogs". She was referred to a military court, prompting activists, as well as presidential hopefuls such as Mohamed ElBaradei and Ayman Nour
Ayman Nour
Ayman Abd El Aziz Nour is an Egyptian politician, a former member of the Egyptian Parliament and chairman of the El Ghad party.He was imprisoned in January 2005 by the government of President Hosni Mubarak. Nour was released on health grounds on February 18, 2009...
, to protest her being charged in a military court. Mahfouz was released on bail in the amount of 20,000 Egyptian Pounds, equivalent to approximately 3,350 US dollars.
September
On 9 September, tens of thousands of protesters gathered for what they called the "Friday of Correcting the Path" (or the "Correct the Path") in Suez, Alexandria, Cairo, and other cities, in the absence of supporters of Islamic political movements.The major demands of the Friday were relieving the Mansour el-Essawy
Mansour el-Essawy
General Mansour el-Essawi is an Egyptian politician, the current Minister of the Interior. He was appointed by Prime Minister Essam Sharaf on 5 March 2011....
(The current Minister of the Interior
Ministry of Interior (Egypt)
The Ministry of Interior of Egypt is part of the Cabinet of Egypt. It is responsible for law enforcement in Egypt. The current minister is Mansour el-Essawy, appointed 5 March 2011....
), maintaining independence of the judiciary, closing the Israeli embassy in Cairo, amending the laws of the People's Assembly and Shura Council, and stopping military trials for civilians that began under the SCAF.
After gathering in Tahrir Square, the protest moved to the MOI
Ministry of Interior (Egypt)
The Ministry of Interior of Egypt is part of the Cabinet of Egypt. It is responsible for law enforcement in Egypt. The current minister is Mansour el-Essawy, appointed 5 March 2011....
, then to the Supreme Constitutional Court of Egypt
Supreme Constitutional Court of Egypt
The Supreme Constitutional Court is an independent judiciary body in the Arab Republic of Egypt, with its new seat in the Cairo suburb of Maadi....
, and finally towards the Israeli embassy. The 2011 Israeli embassy attack occurred later in Cairo, when Egyptian protesters entered the Israeli embassy after tearing down the wall surrounding the building that housed it. Police fired tear gas into the crowds. Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said that about 3,000 protesters had torn apart the wall, forcing the Israeli ambassador to Egypt
Egypt–Israel relations
Egypt–Israel relations are foreign relations between Egypt and Israel. The state of war between both countries which dated back from the 1948 Arab–Israeli War ended in 1979 with the Egyptian–Israeli Peace Treaty a year after the Camp David Accords. Full diplomatic relations were established on...
to flee. The military restored a state of emergency; Egyptian activists denounced the political manipulation of doing so.
October
Late into the evening of 9 October, during a protest that was held in MaspiroMaspiro television building
Maspero is the name of the huge building on the bank of the Nile river in Cairo, Egypt. It is the headquarters of Egyptian television, the oldest governmental television organization in the Middle East and Africa...
, peaceful Egyptian protesters, calling for the dissolution the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, the resignation of its chairman, Field Marshal Mohamed Tantawi, and the dismissal of the governor of Aswan province, were attacked
Maspero demonstrations
Maspero Demonstrations were staged by a group predominated by Egyptian Copts in reaction to the burning of a number of churches in Upper Egypt. The peaceful protesters who intended to stage a sit-in in front of the Maspiro television building were attacked by security forces and the army, resulting...
by military police. At least 25 people were killed and more than 200 wounded. The protest began due to an attack on a Coptic Christian church in Merinab village in Aswan
Aswan
Aswan , formerly spelled Assuan, is a city in the south of Egypt, the capital of the Aswan Governorate.It stands on the east bank of the Nile at the first cataract and is a busy market and tourist centre...
on 30 September. Aswan governor Mustafa al-Seyyed said that Copts had built the church without having the proper permits. The 9 October attack was committed by both the Egyptian police force and military police using live ammunition, vehicles to run over protesters and extensive rounds of tear gas were fired.
The Army also stormed Al-Hurra TV station and 25 January TV stations, and took them off air. The State Media, which has become biased to military junta, asked on "honorable" Egyptians to protect the army against attacks by "Coptic protesters" even though the protesters were not only Copts.
November
In November 2011, dissatisfied with the progress of the reforms, almost all civilian political parties called for an accelerated end to the military rule before drafting a constitution — either an immediate handover to a civilian-led government, or a turnover to the lower house of Parliament when it is seated in April, or after a presidential election, which would be scheduled as soon as possible. A major difference between Egyptian revolutionaries is that secular groups want the election to be postponed since they believe that the election would favor religious parties and well established groups like the Muslim Brotherhood while those parties want the parliamentary elections to be held on time. On the other hand they are united in their demand that the military should get out of politics and stop imposing restrictions on the future constitution and allow democratically elected representatives of Egyptians to freely write the new constitution.The protesters are demanding the SCAF to step down from governing and politics, and hand over the authority to civilians. Other demands include banning former members of Hosni Mubarak
Hosni Mubarak
Muhammad Hosni Sayyid Mubarak is a former Egyptian politician and military commander. He served as the fourth President of Egypt from 1981 to 2011....
's regime from running in the next election, and rejection of the military's super-constitution (which restricts the power of the future elected representative in writing the new constitution, gives the military the power to select up to 80 percent of the membership committee that writes the new constitution, and removes the possibility of civilian control of the military
Civilian control of the military
Civilian control of the military is a doctrine in military and political science that places ultimate responsibility for a country's strategic decision-making in the hands of the civilian political leadership, rather than professional military officers. One author, paraphrasing Samuel P...
and Egypt's foreign policy which will allow the military to act as a state within a state
State within a state
State within a state is a political situation in a country when an internal organ, generally from the armed forces, intelligence agencies or police, does not respond to the civilian leadership....
in Egypt, a system similar to Turkey's Deep State
Deep state
The Deep state is alleged to be a group of influential anti-democratic coalitions within the Turkish political system, composed of high-level elements within the intelligence services , Turkish military, security, judiciary, and mafia. The notion of deep state is similar to that of a "state within...
before democratic reforms). The protesters state that the situation has not improved during the last 10 months under military government. Media and freedom of expression has become even more restricted, civilian political activists are being tried in military courts for insulting military, human rights situation has not improved, the emergency law (which gives government extra-ordinary powers and the right to ignore laws) continues, and the military junta continues to use the same methods that Mubarak was using. They are also angry at Field Marshal Tantavi's statement announced on TV which implies that military wants to remain involved in politics and will not return to baracks even after presidential elections.
On 19 November, two people were killed and 600 wounded in violent clashes after mass protests in Tahrir Square against the military junta regime. The protests started in reaction to the military unilaterally announcing a super-constitution that representatives elected for writing the constitution will not be able to change.
Egyptian medics say a police and army assault on anti-government protesters in Cairo has killed at least three people, raising the death toll in Egypt to at least five killed in two days of unrest. Police in Cairo lobbed teargas into crowds of protesters angry at the military government’s continued role in political life. Demonstrators kept control of Tahrir Square Sunday morning, and vowed to keep their revolution alive.
Protesters demanding faster reforms and establishment of civilian government took to the Tahrir square in Cairo, and also in other cities, and clashed with the security forces. On 21 November 2011, after several days of violent demonstrations in which more than 33 protesters lost their lives and over 1,500 were wounded, the provisional government offered its resignation to the supreme military council in reaction to the use of force against the protesters.
At a crisis meeting on 22 November 2011 between the political and the military leaders, the parties agreed for a new interim government to be formed, and to proceed with the scheduled parliamentary election on 28 November, with a goal of holding a presidential election before the end of June 2012. Also on the same day, the US State Department condemned the excessive use of force against the demonstrators by the Egyptian security forces.
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