In 2011, the so-called "Arab Spring". According to specialists, it consisted of protest movements and demonstrations in Arab countries, in favor of democracy and by the end of the dictatorial regimes in the Middle East. O Egypt it was one of the first countries to join the protests.
Influenced by the fall of Tunisian President Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali (which took place on January 14th, by intense popular demonstrations and protests against the dictatorial government that lasted 23 years), the Egyptians started, in January 2011, an intense movement of demonstrations and popular protests against dictator president Mohammed Hosni Mubarak, who had been in power for 30 years in Egypt.
Several were the factors that contributed to the popular uprising in Egypt, as the rekindling of religious tensions of the country after the death of 21 Christians in the explosion of a church in the city of Alexandria. The Egyptians also claimed the end of 30-year dictatorship and they wanted the transition from government to democracy, that is, the
Egyptian society lived under the political imposition of Mubarak. The main reasons for the popular demonstrations were the high unemployment rates, the authoritarianism of the dictatorial government, the high rates of corruption, police violence, homelessness, censorship of freedom of expression, appalling living conditions and the demand for an increase in the minimum wage.
The popular uprising had as its main objective to overthrow the dictator Hosni Mubarak, one of the main allies of the United States, in the region, and of Western countries such as England and France. Mubarak had announced that he would leave power only after the presidential succession elections. With that, the population rebelled and continued the movement for the deposition of the dictator (a fact that only happened on February 11, 2011).
Before Mubarak's resignation, the dictator intended to run in presidential elections scheduled for September 2011 or put his son as successor. The popular demonstrations continued, as the main demand of the protesters was the immediate removal of Mubarak from power.
Also on January 25, 2011, a large demonstration was organized in Egypt, the so-called “Day of Revolt”, in that thousands of people took to the streets to claim their rights in cities such as Cairo, Alexandria, among others. The demonstrators were concerned with articulating and organizing the demonstrations via the internet, which is fast and widely disseminated information. After four days of conflicts, due to government retaliation, the country's internet and cell phone services were cut as the main strategy to prevent protesters from communicating and to censor news and images of people being killed by soldiers Egyptians, after Maburak announced a curfew on 29 January when soldiers stormed the streets of City.
Some Western nations tried to intervene in the conflict: the United States of America asked Egypt for a 'democratic transition'; while England and France wanted the Egyptian government to respond to popular demands.
After two weeks of conflict, President Hosni Maburak resigned from the government, leaving more than 42 people dead and about 3000 injured. The military took power, announcing the installation of a provisional military junta in the Egyptian government until the elections for the country's president in September 2011.
After the months of September and October 2011, no signs of an electoral process were being observed. The military claimed that they expected greater social stability and were striving for security, increasingly delaying elections. Thus, constant popular demonstrations were unleashed in Egypt. Some political analysts deconstructed the idea of the “Arab Spring”, arguing that the insurrectionary movement had the character of a coup d'état, carried out by the army, and none of the popular character.
On November 28th, the 1st stage of the parliamentary elections was held (composition of the parliament). Millions of people went to the polls, the vast majority voting for the first time. The final results will only take effect in January 2012, after other stages of the electoral process have been completed. Meanwhile, the military junta that took over the provisional government after Maburak's resignation remains in power.
By Leandro Carvalho
Master in History
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/guerras/conflitos-no-egito-2011-primavera-arabe.htm