Two years later, Egyptians' euphoria over Mubarak's fall a distant memory
Some protesters demanded President Morsi's ouster as they clashed with police on the anniversary of Mubarak's fall. Deepening economic woes and violence have marred Morsi's short tenure.
Some protesters demanded President Morsi's ouster as they clashed with police on the anniversary of Mubarak's fall. Deepening economic woes and violence have marred Morsi's short tenure.
鈥� A daily summary of global reports on security issues.
Protesters demanding the resignation of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi clashed with police yesterday on the second anniversary of the overthrow of autocratic former leader Hosni Mubarak.
鈥淭he people want to bring down the regime,鈥� protesters chanted outside the presidential palace yesterday, where police used water hoses and tear gas to break up the small crowds, reports the Associated Press. Demonstrators were also present in other symbolic places across the city: outside the chief prosecutor's office, where protesters called for justice for those who were killed by security forces during the 2011 uprisings to oust Mr. Mubarak; and in Tahrir Square, the main rallying point for Egyptians during the 18 days of protest that eventually led to Mubarak鈥檚 resignation after 30 years in power.
For the next 17 months, Egypt was led by a military council, under which violence continued. Last June, The Muslim Brotherhood鈥檚 President Morsi won Egypt鈥檚 first free and fair elections.
But democracy has not reaped the peace, security, or economic stability many called for during the uprisings two years ago, 海角大神鈥檚 Dan Murphy reports in a recent in-depth report:
Yesterday, Ahmed Mohamed, an engineering student who had joined protesters outside the presidential palace, told the AP,聽"[o]f course I feel disappointed. Every day it's getting worse. The economy is even worse and all government institutions are collapsing. Morsi won't even acknowledge this."
Mubarak was sentenced to life in jail last year for the role he played in the death of protesters during the 2011 uprisings. Two years later, some opposition party members are calling for Morsi to stand trial for the deaths of some 60 people killed when antigovernment demonstrations broke out in January, reports Reuters. The public prosecutor has said there is no evidence to tie Morsi to those deaths.
Amid yesterday鈥檚 violence, presidential spokesman Yasser Ali spoke on state TV late last night. "Violence will burn the fingers of those who call for it and use it.... The presidency supports the continuation of peaceful protests and freedom of expression but any attempt to veer off peaceful protesting will be dealt with firmly,鈥� Mr. Ali said, according to Reuters.
Fouad Ajami, a senior fellow at Stanford University鈥檚 Hoover Institution, wrote in an opinion for the Wall Street Journal that during his聽decades of autocratic rule, "a toxic brew poisoned the life of Egypt 鈥� a mix of anti-modernism, anti-Americanism, and anti-Zionism."
Egypt鈥檚 Ahram online has a series of first-person 鈥渦ntold stories鈥� from the 2011 revolution, and the BBC has put together a mosaic of voices on 鈥渓ife since Mubarak鈥� to commemorate the two-year anniversary.