Yesterday's return of Mohamed ElBaraderi, and his subsequent house-arrest today, has done nothing but intensify the thirst for change that has been increasing day by day within Egyptian society since last Tuesday.
Today, a mass demonstration with thousands of people is planned after Friday's prayers in a new "Day of Wrath" in Cairo in order to demand the end of President Hosni Mubarak's 30 year rule.
State security forces have responded to the anti-government movements by blocking internet connections after midnight yesterday.
As in Tunisia, Egypt's state of unrest is characterised by a rapid co-ordination of social networking sites such as Facebook or Twitter, which have been a focal point for activists. Since this morning, mobile telephones have also been disabled by the government in a further attempt to silence protesters.
According to the BBC, mobile operator Vodafone Egypt said in a statement: "All mobile operators in Egypt have been instructed to suspend services in selected areas. Under Egyptian legislation the authorities have the right to issue such an order and we are obliged to comply with it."
It has been impossible for The Fresh Outlook to communicate with Egypt today and the official government website is also down. By isolating the protesters from each other, and from the rest of the world, the Egyptian state seems to be trying to stop the flow of the current events.
Despite this protesters' reliance on digital media, Dr Hassan Hakimian, Director of the London Middle East Institute (LMEI) at SOAS, who spoke exclusively to The Fresh Outlook, believes that: “We mustn't hype new digital media as they are only carriers of much more important underlying demands. They are only facilitating the communications and it is wrong to talk about such things as 'Twitter revolution' or 'Facebook revolution'.”
More fuel for the fire
The anti-government protests in Egypt have intensified due to the return of the Egyptian dissident, Mohamed ElBaradei. Especially after the Nobel Peace Prize winner declared yesterday that: “Egypt is being isolated by a regime on its last legs,” as reported by the Guardian.
Mr ElBaraderi's presence in this story could herald a key change in the development of events in Egypt. Dr Hakimian claims that Mr ElBaraderi can affect the flow of the current events “by helping to articulate popular demand and providing credible leadership”. However, he is quick to add that: “Mr ElBaraderi is better known abroad and he is yet to prove he has leadership qualities internally.”
Despite an official ban by the government and the arrest of several members, the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's largest and most organised opposition movement, said it would also join today's protests.
With all these different players spread along the board, a real change might be possible in Egypt. However, last Tuesday, Hossam Zaki, the Foreign Ministry spokesman, stated that: “The protests should not be perceived as if the Egyptians are preparing for a new situation like what happened in Tunisia.”
In Dr Hakimian's opinion, the Egyptian government is in a delicate position: “If it clamps down, it will face more determined unrest; if it gives in, protesters, fanned by long standing and legitimate demands, will ask for and will expect more reforms.” The Director of the London Middle East Institute (LMEI) at SOAS believes that the next few days are going to be critical: “Even if authorities clamp down, which they may not be able to, demands are not going to go away.”
So far, at least seven people have died and up to 1,000 have been arrested, according to reports from the BBC. The story is still developing, but according to Dr Hakimian: “Mr Mubarak is intelligent enough to get the message from his foreign backers and to know his time is up.” In his opinion, the role of the international community is simple, “they should stop propping up a deeply unpopular and unrepresentative government, and also by recognising people's legitimate aspirations for change.”
By Eva Fernandez
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