Domestic responses to the Egyptian revolution of 2011

On 29 January, the head of the Egyptian Shura Council's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, and also a part of the ruling party, said he does not believe the protests have ended yet.[2]

On 29 January, in response to the previous days' events, President Mubarak spoke on national television after midnight local time for the first time since the protests began. He said in his speech that despite a "point of no return" being crossed, national stability and law and order must prevail, that he had requested the government, formed only months ago, to step down, and that a new government would be formed.[3] He made no offer to step down himself.[4] On 29 January, Mubarak appointed Omar Suleiman, head of Egyptian Intelligence, as vice president,[5] and Ahmed Shafik as prime minister.[6]

• On 9 February, Culture Minister Gaber Asfour resigned after one week in office citing health problems.[14]

On 31 January, Mubarak swore in his new cabinet in the hope that the unrest would fade. The protesters did not leave and continued to demonstrate in Cairo's Tahrir Square to demand the downfall of Mubarak. The vice-president and the prime minister were already appointed.[15] He told the new government to preserve subsidies, control inflation and provide more jobs.[16]

On 1 February, Mubarak said he never intended to run for reelection[17] in the upcoming September presidential election, though his candidacy had previously been announced by high-ranking members of his National Democratic Party[18]

In his speech, he asked parliament for reforms:

According to my constitutional powers, I call on parliament in both its houses to discuss amending article 76 and 77 of the constitution concerning the conditions on running for presidency of the republic and it sets specific a period for the presidential term. In order for the current parliament in both houses to be able to discuss these constitutional amendments and the legislative amendments linked to it for laws that complement the constitution and to ensure the participation of all the political forces in these discussions, I demand parliament to adhere to the word of the judiciary and its verdicts concerning the latest cases which have been legally challenged.

— Hosni Mubarak, 1 February 2011[19]

A sign with the protesters' omnibus demands

Opposition and civil society activists have called for changes to a number of legal and constitutional provisions which affect elections. Specifically they call for:

• Amendment of Article 76 of the Constitution to make it easier for party and independent candidates to get on the presidential ballot.
• Amendment of Article 77 to establish term limits for the presidency, which were removed from the Constitution in 1981.
• Amendment of Article 88 to restore full judicial supervision of elections. This would help tame election fraud and vote rigging, which are common in Egyptian elections.
• Amendment of Law 177 of 2005 in order to facilitate the formation of new political parties.
• Amendment of Article 179: Amendments in 2007 to Article 179 included an "anti-terrorism" measure, which allows for arbitrary arrest, searches and wiretapping without warrant, and transfer of any civilian court case of the president’s choosing to military tribunals. Unlike the Emergency law, it is a permanent measure and not a temporary measure requiring parliamentary approval.

In the Spring 2010, Mohamed El baradei began circulating a petition in the runup to the 2010 Egyptian parliamentary election calling for 7 specific reforms:

1. End the state of emergency.
2. Ensure full judicial supervision of elections.
3. Provide for domestic and international monitoring of elections.
4. Ensure that all candidates have sufficient access to the media, particularly during the presidential election campaign.
5. Allow Egyptians abroad to vote through embassies and consulates.
6. Work toward a political system built on democracy and social justice.
7. Provide the right to nomination for political office without obstacles, in accordance with Egypt’s obligations under the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights; limit the president to two terms.
8. Allow voting by national identification card. These measures will require amending articles 76, 77, and 88 of the Constitution as soon as possible.[20]

"Leave" in several languages.

In response to 25 January events, the Muslim Brotherhood said: "Egypt is undergoing important events where the Egyptian people started a movement in Cairo and other cities in the country expressing their anger and denouncing the practices and violations by the system." Following Mubarak's speech, the brotherhood issued a statement reiterating demands for Mubarak's resignation and saying it was time for the military to intervene.[21] The brotherhood also said it would not be nominating a new president.

On 30 January, it called for all opposition groups to unite while blaming Mubarak for the situation. The brotherhood supports Mohammed ElBaradei's National Association for Change. On 30 January, The Guardian reported that ElBaradei has been mandated by the brotherhood and four other opposition groups to negotiate an interim "national salvation government."[22] There were also demands by the brotherhood that Mubarak step down.[23]

Mohammed ElBaradei during Friday of Anger

On 27 January 2011, Mohammed ElBaradei returned to Egypt amid ongoing turmoil. He declared himself ready to lead a transitional government if that was the will of the nation, saying that: "If [people] want me to lead the transition, I will not let them down".[24] He called for ousting the regime, as in Tunisia.[25] Subsequently, "when he joined protesters Friday after noon prayers, police fired water cannons at him and his supporters. They used batons to beat some of ElBaradei's supporters, who surrounded him to protect him."[26] ElBaradei said he was "proud of the protesters" and proud of the military, who by 29 January were the only state force on the streets of Cairo, with police nowhere to be seen. There were numerous individual public displays of affection and respect for soldiers manning positions on the streets.[27] He urged the US to end the "life support to the dictator" and that "It is better for President Obama not to appear that he is the last one to say to President Mubarak, 'It's time for you to go.'"[28]

ElBaradei has also stated that "the people (of Egypt) want the regime to fall". In response to the appointment of Omar Suleiman as the new Vice President of Egypt, ElBaradei stated that it was a "hopeless, desperate attempt by Mubarak to stay in power, I think it is loud and clear...that Mubarak has to leave today". Additionally, he restated the position that when Egypt does become a democratic nation and that "there is no reason to believe that a democracy in Egypt would not lead to a better relationship with the US based on respect and equity."[29]

As of 30 January, the 6 April Youth Movement, the We Are All Khaled Said Movement, the National Association for Change, the 25 January Movement and Kefaya – the main organizers of the protests – had all asked ElBaradei to act in the country's internal affairs and foreign affairs in the transitional phase, and for the formation of a temporary national salvation[30]

Having returned after 30 years of exile from his native country of Egypt, Yusuf al-Qaradawi in Tahrir Square proclaimed,"Egyptian people are like the genie who came out of the lamp and who have been in prison for 30 years" and, "We are not going back in until all our demands are met".

He also made assuring statements about the Coptic minority:

The regime planted sectarianism here … in Tahrir Muslims and Christians joined hands for a better Egypt

He also made demands including the dissolution of the current cabinet, release of thousands of political prisoners, end of the infamous state security services, and the end of the Gaza blockade.

After the sermon thousands of protesters settled into prayer.[31]

Judges, who were particularly vocal about the independence of the judiciary during the 2005 Egyptian presidential election also joined talks about the interim government.[32]

Local Sheikhs reportedly took control of the remote community Siwa after the protests began to escalate, they reportedly put the community on lockdown after a nearby town "was torched".[33]

Political individuals

Amr Moussa, the head of the Arab League and an Egyptian citizen, said he would consider a decision to run in the upcoming 2011 presidential election.[34]

Former UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali expressed concern over a transitional period that could not be effective if it was forced too early. In that vein, he said the Mubarak should not leave immediately and that direct negotiations could bring about a solution.[35] He also warned of an economic collapse saying that "the Egyptian public is unaware of the impact such a crisis will have over the next few months. You can't effect a transition in 24 hours and at the same time avert the risk of uncontrollable chaos."[36]

Apolitical individuals

Amr Khaled, a Muslim televangelist, activist and preacher, said the future of Egypt needs a government to listen to the young people and respect them.[37]

A large banner in Cairo's Tahrir Square on 1 February: "Go On, Young People!"

On 31 January, The Daily Telegraph reported that Egyptian-born actor Omar Sharif called for Mubarak to step down.[38]

Ahmed Zewail, an Egyptian-American scientist and the winner of the 1999 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, said that Egypt cannot resolve the crisis without changing the system. He offered a proposal of four items to remove Egypt from the crisis and enter a new era. He said that reason for this proposal is his sense of duty towards Egypt and its youth.[39]

On 27 January, the Egyptian Football Association announced that all Egyptian League games would be suspended in order to keep "clubs from congregating." Yet the fan clubs, known as "ultras," organised neighbourhood committees to provide security amidst looting and also to confront the police. The move was read by CNN as allowing for "the poor, the disenfranchised, and the mass of young people" to take part in the protests. One sports writer said that "The involvement of organised soccer fans in Egypt's anti-government protests constitutes every Arab government's worst nightmare. Soccer, alongside Islam, offers a rare platform in the Middle East, a region populated by authoritarian regimes that control all public spaces, for the venting of pent-up anger and frustration." The move was also followed by a Libyan government directive to the Libyan Football Federation to cancel matches for the "foreseeable future" on concern over the unrest spreading.[40]

A political cartoon by Carlos Latuff depicting Hosni Mubarak unplugging Egypt from the Internet, and about to be disconnected himself in turn

On 3 February, journalists from a number of news organisations, including CNN, the Associated Press, CBS News, BBC News, Al Jazeera English, Danish TV2 News, Swiss television, Swedish SVT and Belgium's Le Soir newspaper, were reported assaulted, detained or otherwise obstructed. The Committee to Protect Journalists said, on 3 February, that Mubarak had "unleashed an unprecedented and systematic attack on international media."[87] Security forces and pro-government gangs "hunted down journalists in their offices and hotels", preventing broadcast networks from airing live footage from Tahrir Square.[88]

Armed Mubarak supporters attacked foreign journalists, physically, and by smashing their equipment. Plainclothes police officers were alleged to have shut down news media outlets that had been operating in buildings overlooking the square. Mubarak supporters also seized an informal center set up by human rights workers in the square, and, according to Amnesty International, two of their employees and one from Human Rights Watch were detained.

Two other Al Jazeera reporters were also attacked as they arrived from the airport.[89] As of 9 February, almost 12 Al Jazeera reporters had been arrested.[90]

Two reporters working for The New York Times were released after being detained overnight in Cairo. Two Washington Post staffers were among two-dozen journalists detained by the Interior Ministry on Thursday morning, the paper reported. The White House spokesman, Robert Gibbs, condemned the Mubarak government's harassment of journalists, calling it "completely and totally unacceptable", and that "any journalist that has been detained should be released immediately".[91]

Swedish media reported that SVT (Swedish national television) reporter Bert Sundström was arrested while covering events in Cairo's Tahrir Square.[92] Later the same day, on 3 February, Swedish media reported that Sundström had undone surgery in a Cairo hospital after suffering knife injuries to his stomach and back and head injuries.[92][93] Two reporters from Aftonbladet were also detained for several hours having been accused of being Mossad spies,[94] and a four-member news team from Israel were detained and later released.[94]

CNN correspondent Anderson Cooper and his news crew were roughed up by a pro-Mubarak mob, and reporters from the Washington Post were harassed.[94] Cooper was reportedly punched in the head 10 times.[94] A journalist for Dubai-based Al-Arabiya television reportedly suffered concussion after being attacked.[94] Six Al Jazeera journalists were arrested on 1 February before being released a few hours later.[94]

According to Aftonbladet, a Greek photographer was also stabbed in the leg.[95]

The Committee to Protect Journalists said that it was looking into at least ten cases of journalists who had been detained in Cairo since 2 February.[92]

By the evening of 3 February, in Cairo, no major broadcaster was able to air live coverage from the square, the epicenter of the protests.[96]

The next day, the French Foreign Ministry said it had had no word about the fate of three French journalists who work for Le Figaro and were kidnapped by unidentified assailants.[97]

On 15 February, CBS News reported[98] that its chief foreign correspondent, Lara Logan, had been assaulted on 11 February, by a frenzied mob of Egyptian protesters. She was abruptly separated from her crew, after which she suffered a brutal 20-30-minute beating and sexual assault, before being rescued by a group of Egyptian women and an estimated 20 Egyptian soldiers. She was taken to an American hospital, from which she was released on 16 February, to recover in her Washington D.C. home. President Obama called her to express his concern. On 17 February, Washington Post columnist Jonathan Capehart reported that there was no coverage of this assault from Al-Jazeera. Journalist Nir Rosen made insensitive and offensive comments about the attack on his Twitter page, and resigned shortly afterward, with apologies.[99]

On 29 January, Saudi Arabia's Tadawul stock market index fell 6.4 percent, the most since 25 May 2010, on concern over Egypt's instability.[114]

On 30 January, the Dubai Financial Market's General Index also fell 6.2 percent (the most since December 2009) during mid-day trading on concern "international investors are fleeing Middle East stock markets with justified risk aversion across the board." The Tadawul rebounded somewhat from the previous days crash, but Qatar's QE Index fell 3 percent, the most since 25 May and Abu Dhabi's ADX General Index also fell 3.7 percent. Kuwait's SE Price Index fell a narrower 1.8 percent, Oman's MSM30 fell 3 percent and Bahrain's All Share Index also fell a narrower 1.4 percent. Meanwhile, Israel's TA-25 Index fell almost 2.5 percent, the most since May 2010 as Ampal-American Israel Corporation, who own a stake in Egypt's East Mediterranean Gas Company, fell by the most in nearly two years. Israeli government ten-year-bond yields rose.[115]

In the first days of the protests, international gold prices jumped more than US$20 – the most in twelve weeks – to US$1,341.[116] The price of oil rose US$3.70 (4.3 percent) to US$89.34 on concern the instability would spread.[117]

On 31 January, major European and Asian markets continued their fall from 28 January due to Egyptian unrest.[118] The Hungarian stock index BUX fell to its lowest in two weeks as the protests reduced investors' appetite for emerging-market assets.[119]

On 2 February, brent crude crossed US$100 on concern over instability.[120] The next day, crude oil advanced for the fifth day in a row on stability concerns amidst expanding protests in the Arab world.[104] Rising oil prices as a result of the instability were reported to be pressuring OPEC to increase supplies in order to ease prices.[121]

On 4 February, Venezuelan Energy Minister Rafael Ramírez said that OPEC would only meet if the Suez Canal was shut and that the price of oil was rising to a "fair price".[122]