News feeds and reports are awash with images of the riots happening in Egypt. We have all heard how government and civilian clashes have led to injuries and deaths on both sides. And while we are able to relate to these happenings because of our experience with Martial Law and the People Power Revolution, we may not completely understand just what led to start of these events.FN has put together a primer of the happenings in Egypt. Here is a short list of the things you should know about the Egyptian riots.
1. WHAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING?
The riots in Egypt were triggered by the ones in Tunisia, which in turn started after a Tunisian man, Mohamed Bouazizi, burned himself after being on the receiving end of abuse and corruption from Tunisian officials. His death sparked riots in his country, which led Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who stood as Tunisia’s president for 23 years, to flee the country.
Egyptians were inspired by the Tunisians and the demonstrations that led to the toppling of the Ben Ali government. Following this example, Egyptians took to the streets and began calling for the resignation of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, who has been head of government for 30 years.
Under Mubarak’s regime, Egypt has been under Emergency Law , which basically means that police powers are extended, people charged with crimes can be held for an indefinite period of time, constitutional rights are suspended, and censorship is made legal—somewhat similar to our own experience with Martial Law under the Marcos regime. Poverty, corruption, and unemployment resulted from Mubarak’s Emergency Law.
Egyptians are demanding that Emergency Law be repealed and that Mubarak step down from his post. On January 25, what was supposed to be Egypt’s National Police Day, Egyptians took to the streets of Cairo instead and called it a “day of rage.” The demonstrations were peaceful, with people marching in the streets and loudly calling for President Mubarak’s resignation from office. This move was mirrored in cities all over the country. But after a few hours, police began firing tear gas and water cannons at protesters. By the end of the day, a government report said that three protesters and a police officer had been killed.
2. WHAT IS GOING ON NOW?
To date, Egyptians have not let up on the pressure. They continue to protest Mubarak’s regime even after Internet and mobile phone services were disrupted. The demonstrators relied heavily on social media platforms to let people know what exactly was going on in the country, but the crippling of such services have not deterred the protesters. As the riots have progressed, several government offices have been burned, and there are reports of even more people dying because of clashes between protesters and the police.
3. WHO ARE THEY KEY FIGURES INVOLVED?
Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak is the figure at the center of the protests. Apart from his resignation, demonstrators are demanding that his enforcement of Emergency Law be repealed and that governmental reforms be made.
Mohamed ElBaradei is a Nobel Peace Laureate and a possible candidate for the Egyptian presidency should Mubarak step down. He is an opposition leader and is currently the figurehead of a loosely unified opposition force.
The Muslim Brotherhood is Egypt’s largest opposition party and the one being blamed by the Mubarak government for the civil unrest. The group denies the allegation but says they will support ElBaradei’s efforts to negotiate with the government.
4. HOW DOES THIS AFFECT THE PHILIPPINES?
Already, the Philippine Stock Exchange reports that the local market is taking a beating because of the effects of the unrest in Egypt. From this development, oil prices are expected to go up.
There is also concern for the reported 6,500 Filipinos who are currently living in Egypt, having stable jobs and homes in the country. In a report from GMANews.TV, Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Edwin Malaya said that the government has planned two possible evacuation routes for Philippine nationals should the riots escalate even further.
5. WHERE CAN I GET UPDATES?
The Egyptian riots are being closely monitored by news outfits all over the world. ABS-CBNNews.com and GMANews.tv regularly post updates about the unrest and the safety of Filipinos in the key cities of Cairo, Alexandria, and Suez.
To get more in depth reports as well as a timeline of events, the best sites to visit would be CNN.com, BBC News, and Al Jazeera.
(Screencap and video courtesy of hadi15 on Youtube.com)
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