Egyptians take to the streets, demand removal of their president
"Rise up, fear not, Sisi must go"
September 24th, 11:42 amSeptember 24th, 11:47 amMariam Nabbout
Dissent has been almost unheard of in Egypt since President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi came to power following a military coup on late ruler Mohammed Morsi in 2013. After the army man took the role, Egypt outlawed all unauthorized demonstrations and has continuously been declaring and renewing "states of emergency." However, a major shift in the situation took place over the weekend, with thousands taking to the streets to call on El-Sisi's impeachment.
The demonstrations have been largely triggered by scandalous accusations made public by self-exiled Egyptian construction contractor and part-time actor Mohamed Ali. In videos posted online earlier this month, the man claimed El-Sisi and those close to him are "corrupt hypocrites."
Ali, who has worked on construction projects for the Egyptian military, left his home country for Spain — though his exact whereabouts and the date of his move remain unknown. He launched a YouTube channel in the European country through which he's been making his claims, saying El-Sisi has been misusing public funds and fueling the country's economic woes.
The president did not dismiss these claims, instead went on national TV and confirmed them. "Yes, I have built presidential palaces and will build more. I will continue to do more and more, but not for me. Nothing is in my name. It is in Egypt’s name," El-Sisi said.
The leader's response did little to calm down the social media storm stirred up by Ali's videos. The latter's claims led many to launch viral Twitter hashtags calling on El-Sisi to step down.
The online movement quickly translated into offline protests, with hundreds of demonstrators taking to the streets in several Egyptian cities including Cairo, Alexandria, and Suez. Footage uploaded online capture demonstrators chanting: "Rise up, fear not, Sisi must go" and "the people demand the regime's fall."
The latter phrase was made popular during the country's historic 2011 Tahrir Square uprising which ended up toppling former President Hosni Mubarak — a man who had ruled the country for three decades.
It seems as though the slogan is back and several analysts believe it might lead to the rebirth of the Egyptian revolution. Though pro-government media channels have been undermining the most recent uprising and claiming it's all fabricated, proof of it is all over social media.
What motivated Ali's videos?
In one of his many uploads, Ali says military officials led by El-Sisi owe him millions of dollars in unpaid construction work. Angered by the fact that he wasn't given his monetary rights, the man explained he decided to expose El-Sisi and his aids for what they truly are.
One clip after the other, Ali detailed how officials hired him to build them huge castles and private villas while Egypt fell into deep poverty. With that, he has become a whistle-blower who's divided the Egyptian public into those who support his claims and others who are defending their president.
While Ali says his motive was monetary, some believe he's backed by connections in countries opposed to El-Sisi's rule who are using him to try and topple the current regime.
Why are some Egyptians fed up with El-Sisi's rule?
Questions over whether Ali is backed and speculations over why he chose this specific timing to come out with his claims remain unanswered. But, the protests his words fueled are not just the result of his claims. While many Egyptians unconditionally support El Sisi's rule, others are suffocating under it.
Since the ruler came to power in 2013, the country has been under "economic austerity measures" in a bid to help reboot an economy which was hugely affected by the 2011 uprising. However, poverty rates have soared among Egyptians and official statistics released in July revealed that one in three locals currently lives in poverty.
The President is also perceived "to have mismanaged the nation's water crisis, mishandled the country's crumbling infrastructure, and acted against national interest by giving away two islands in the Red Sea to Saudi Arabia."
All that aside, the regime governed by El-Sisi has been accused of violently cracking down on activists and anyone who dares declare themselves a political opponent. According to Human Rights Watch, the president was only able to secure his second term in 2018 after "his security forces escalated a campaign of intimidation, violence, and arbitrary arrests against political opponents and activists."
Not only that, El-Sisi has also governed the passing of a controversial law that basically grants authorities the right to monitor social media users in the country.
The legislation, which was approved by the parliament in July 2018, gives the Supreme Council for Media Regulations the power to place people with more than 5,000 online followers – on social media or with a personal blog or website – under supervision.
Earlier this year, the Egyptian public was also left dismayed by changes made to the country's constitution that could mean El-Sisi can rule until 2030.
These changes came as a blow to what millions of Egyptians fought for during the 2011 uprising: the right to democratically elect and choose a president every four years.
Original Article
Article complet Egyptians take to the streets, demand removal of their president Sur L'Express.
