Forum Views ()
Forum Replies ()
Read more with google mobile :
Young, web savvy fight for Egypt against Mubarak
Yahoo!
My Yahoo!
Mail
More Yahoo! Services
Account Options
New User? Sign Up
Sign In
Help
Yahoo! Search
web search
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Weekend Edition
Young, web savvy fight for Egypt against Mubarak
Reuters - Saturday, January 29
Send
IM Story
Print
By Marwa Awad
CAIRO - They are young, street smart and their pride at being Egyptian trumps any religious loyalty. They have mobilized behind a single aim: the toppling of Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak.
"The people demand the fall of the regime!" they chanted in their thousands in Cairo's central Tahrir square for several hours on the "Day of Wrath" that started a wave of protests across the country on Tuesday.
"An electrifying chant. I never heard it before," university graduate Sami Shabaan, 24, said, joining in and shouting it over and over. "We are not leaving here until the regime falls."
Egyptian and other authoritarian Arab governments have often warned that the choice was 'us or them' -- meaning Islamist extremists -- a threat that shored up support from wary Western leaders. These protesters suggested otherwise.
When one bearded man stood up in the middle of Tahrir to give a sermon on Islam to the crowd on Tuesday, he was quickly asked to tone it down.
"This is not about religion, it is about Egypt," several people around him said.
Other protesters shouting Islamic chants against the government were held back by colleagues who said the chants must remain secular to unite a crowd that Christians had also joined.
"We are Egyptians who want change and better lives," said 36-year-old government worker Mursi Minawy, who came out with his wife and two children to participate.
Many protesters, organized by Internet campaigns through social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter, are young.
Two thirds of Egypt's 80 million people are below the age of 30, and many of them have no jobs. About 40 percent of Egyptians live on less than $2 a day.
For months, protesters from labor unions and opposition groups have held a series of small disparate demonstrations demanding higher wages in their individual sectors and help for the millions of poor Egyptians.
But this time, it is different. Emboldened by the protests in Tunisia that swept the president from power, there is now a much broader demand -- an end to Mubarak's 30 years in power.
"This is a turning point in protest culture," Amr Shobky, a political analyst who joined the protest, said. "Ordinary Egyptians have taken to the streets with one collective demand that goes beyond provisional ones like minimum wages."
Khalil Anani, a political analyst based in London, said: "The determination of ordinary civilians is more significant here than any religious motivation."
In Cairo, the young, savvy protesters have played a cat and mouse game with the state security apparatus, swerving down back streets, dispersing and regrouping at lightning speed to dodge arrest.
In Suez, in the east of the country, the protests have been more violent, with demonstrators throwing rocks and petrol bombs as they face off against police firing teargas.
"Ordinary citizen turnout is the yardstick as to whether the protests will keep gaining momentum," Shobky added.
The Muslim Brotherhood has long been seen as the country's biggest opposition group capable of mustering supporters to challenge the state but critics have said it has often refrained from taking that risk.
It has stayed largely on the sidelines of these protests, although many of its members have been taking part.
"The street is leading the demonstrations, not the parties. The Muslim Brotherhood is there but cannot claim domination over youth activism," Anani said.
Egyptian protests usually draw only a few hundred people. The large numbers and coordination across several cities have given this week's events a force unprecedented since Mubarak took office in 1981.
Egyptians of all backgrounds and ages have taken part but university graduates made up the bulk of the crowd at the start of the protests.
"We are here to change Egypt," yelled Samia Metwali, 22. "Teargas or bullets will not stop the power of the people."
Recommend
Send
IM Story
Print
Related Articles
US-TECH Summary Reuters - 39 minutes ago
Exclusive: The next generation of WikiLeaks Reuters - 39 minutes ago
FCC seeks to dismiss challenges to Internet rules Reuters - 51 minutes ago
WikiLeaks rival operational soon, says founder AFP - 1 hour 16 minutes ago
AFP to boost Internet presence AFP - 1 hour 21 minutes ago
News Search
Top Stories
Mandela goes home after hospital treatment
US growth hits highest level in five years
Ford doubles profit in 2010, disappoints in Q4
US, Britain split on cuts in Davos
Charlie Sheen rushed to hospital after 'wild' party
More Top Stories »
ADVERTISEMENT
Most Popular
Most Viewed
Charlie Sheen rushed to hospital after 'wild' party
Mandela goes home after hospital treatment
'Thunder-snow' storm buries US north-east
Rare Sumatran tiger gives birth to three cubs
US financial crisis 'avoidable' says probe
More Most Viewed »
More Most Recommended »
Elsewhere on Yahoo!
Financial news on Yahoo! Finance
Stars and latest movies
Best travel destinations
More on Yahoo! News
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Weekend Edition
Subscribe to our news feeds
Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS
» More news feeds | What are news feeds?
Also on Yahoo!
Answers
Groups
Mail
Messenger
Mobile
Travel
Finance
Movies
Sports
Games
» All Yahoo! Services
Site Highlights
Singapore
Full Coverage
Most Popular
Entertainment
Photos
Yahoo! News Network
Copyright © 2011 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Service |
Privacy Policy |
Community |
Intellectual Property Rights Policy |
Help
Other News on Saturday, 29 January 2011 Analysis
Egyptian Internet cutoff 'unprecedented': Renesys
Mubarak orders army to back police against Egypt unrest
US growth hits highest level in five years
Apple launches iPad in India
Jordanian protesters demand political reforms
Ford doubles profit in 2010, disappoints in Q4
Jordanian protesters demand political reforms
|
US-TECH Summary
Egypt shows how easily Internet can be silenced
Bruno Mars beats out Britney to reclaim #1 on the Billboard Hot 100
Egyptians carry dead protester through Suez
Albania opposition calmly honors dead protesters
|
Website invites Russians to say 'Goodbye Putin!'
Iran nuclear plant will be 'ready in April'
Exclusive: The next generation of WikiLeaks
Sixty raped in attacks on Congo villages: U.N.
|
Brazilian kept wife in cellar for 16 years: police
|
Wikileaks spin-off group launches new site
South Korea sink Uzbeks to claim 2015 berth
Prominent Cuban dissident defiant after detentions
|
Top Tibetan monk raided by Indian police
Severe malnutrition after Pakistan floods: UNICEF
Microsoft shares fall; tablet worries abound
War crimes court dismisses Taylor's claims of bias over cables
|
In U.S. courts, Facebook posts become less private
American involved in Pakistan shooting claims self-defence
New START treaty to enter into force Feb 5
India raids "living Buddha" over alleged illegal funds
Young, web savvy fight for Egypt against Mubarak
Medvedev signs law ratifying Russia-U.S. arms pact
Chinese boost prices in world's auction houses
American remanded in Pakistan over double killing
Salzburg's 'Glockenspiel' chimes again
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
Charlie Sheen back home, plans return to TV set
US steak, burger lovers face beefier prices
French festival exposes Japan's female manga underground
Transsexual set to take Brazil fashion week by storm
Exclusive: The next generation of WikiLeaks
|
S. Korea rice consumption falls to record low
Wikileaks spin-off group launches new site
|
Sundance film puts spotlight on euthanasia
FCC seeks to dismiss challenges to Internet rules
|
U.S. review of Huawei/3Leaf under way
|
SanDisk shares dive, hit margin, price fears
|
NTT DoCoMo profits rise in nine months
Pakistani stocks end flat; rupee firms; o/n rates down
ADB lends $242 million to Pakistan for power sector
Taiwan due to release full Q4 GDP figures on Feb 17
Hyundai Steel says to add $2.7 bln furnace by 2013
Arizona lawmakers propose another tough illegal immigration law
Showtime salutes Black History Month starting with Bill Withers special
Consumer spending, real gross domestic product rise in last quarter of 2010
Senate Republicans seek end to birthright citizenship
Coachella music festival sells out 2011 tickets in just six days
Ford shares drop after 4Q profit
Sofia Vergara releasing fashion collection for the younger crowd in Kmart
UPDATE 2: U.S. efforts to balance support for popular Cairo protests and fighting terror
Got an Emergency? There is an App for that....
Amazon sells more eBook downloads for Kindle than paperbacks in U.S.
Report: Blunt force trauma cause of Arkansas bird kill
Taco Bell threatens countersuit over beef quality claims
Rep. Kucinich Suing House Cafeteria Over Olive Pit
Lady Gaga's first fragrance to smell like "blood and semen"
Knife-wielding New Yorker holds parents hostage, then surrenders
The fight for Schindlers list
Graduate school instructor charged with faking military credentials, doctorate
Man who became father at 14 to be a grandfather at 29
Michael Jacksons doctor pleads not guilty to manslaughter charge
Auction of suspected JFK assassins casket, burial records sets off lawsuit
Eight killed in suicide attack on Kabul supermarket
Italian judges defend colleagues in Berlusconi sex inquiry
Instant View
WikiLeaks: The Next Generation
Mandela goes home after hospital treatment
LinkedIn eyes $175 million IPO; investors eye finances
Army disperses protesters from Egypt state TV HQ
Egypt's Mubarak sends in army, resists demands to quit
|
Analysts' View
Exclusive: U.S. asks about search fairness in Google/ITA
Suicide bomber kills Kandahar deputy governor
|
Google won't be taken to court over data gather
WikiLeaks founder says enjoys making banks squirm
|
Iran hangs Dutch woman arrested after protests
|
Google updates service tracker amid Egypt shutdown
Nigerian electoral candidate shot in northeast city
|
Japan upgrades travel warning for Egypt
Egypt's Internet shutdown draws fire in US
China's Li Na set for historic Slam final
Global minimum and maximum temperatures
N.Zealand wilt as Pakistan's Hafeez makes century
"Glee" star Lea Michele to sing at Super Bowl
FCC seeks to dismiss challenges to Internet rules
Prominent Cuban dissident hospitalized after arrest
|
Hundreds mourn Hong Kong democracy icon
Sri Lanka leader sued in US
Australia warns against Egypt travel
China's Li hopes for fairytale ending at Aussie Open
Thousands brave Canadian cold to catch tiny ice fish
Twin truck bombings kill four, injure 19 in Pakistan
Hopkins seeks the 'devil' inside, in new film
Akishino visits Costa Rica children's hospital
"The Rite" poised to top weekend box office
Final send-off for Hong Kong democracy icon Szeto
LinkedIn eyes $175 million IPO; investors eye financials
|
WikiLeaks founder says enjoys making banks squirm
|
Bruno Mars to plead guilty to cocaine possession
Exclusive: U.S. asks about search fairness in Google/ITA
|
Demi Lovato out of rehab, return to TV show uncertain
Britney Spears album confirmed for March 15 release
Royal wedding grips U.S. TV, but who to play Kate?
WikiLeaks: The Next Generation
|
"Glee" star Lea Michele to sing at Super Bowl
Charlie Sheen back in rehab, TV show on hold
|
Bruno Mars to plead guilty to cocaine possession
|
Demi Lovato out of rehab, return to TV show uncertain
|
Britney Spears album confirmed for March 15 release
|
Royal wedding grips U.S. TV, but who to play Kate?
|
The Rite poised to top weekend box office
|
American Idol's David Archuleta on the new season
|
Glee star Lea Michele to sing at Super Bowl
|
YouTube unveils Life in a Day film at Sundance
|
Egypt in revolt as Mubarak stands fast
Moscow airport bomber 'targeted foreigners': Russia
Factbox
China micro-blogging sites censor 'Egypt'
France says troubled euro has 'turned the corner'
Afghan suicide bomber kills Kandahar deputy governor
Flu epidemic shuts all Moscow schools
Egyptians defy curfew to call for Mubarak to go
|
Iraq water shortages raising ethnic tensions
Iran hangs Iranian-Dutch woman for drug smuggling
Russia says Moscow airport bomber from North Caucasus
|
Deputy governor killed in Afghanistan
Iran briefly detains son of opposition leader: report
|
Rwanda grenade attack kills two people, wounds 28
|
Prominent Afghan family died in grocery bombing
Mourners, Israel troops clash after West Bank funeral
|
Bomber kills deputy governor in south Afghanistan
Pakistan says law must take its course in U.S. diplomat case
|
Afghan officials: Kandahar deputy governor killed
Central African Republic candidates say poll rigged
|
India brings private eye to US film festival
China to double imports by 2015 to balance trade
Coming polls promise to be fun
COMMENTARY: The Chinay Tiger Mother
UN's food agency urges vigilance vs foot-and-mouth disease in Asia
Rail good trip home for CNY
Sexual prey in the Saudi jungle
Japan minister eyes sales tax hike around 2015
Death toll in Indonesian ferry fire soars to 11
Pakistan leaves policy rate unchanged at 14 pct
India Maruti's profit falls on rising costs
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights