The 2011 Egyptian protests are a series of street demonstrations, protests, and civil disobedience acts that have been taking place in Egypt since 25 January 2011. The demonstrations and riots began in the weeks after the successful Tunisian uprising, with Egyptian protest organisers hoping that events in Tunisia would inspire crowds to mobilise. Specific grievances have centered around legal and political as well as economic issues: police brutality, state of emergency laws, lack of free elections, corruption, restrictions on freedom of speech, high unemployment, low minimum wages, insufficient housing, food price inflation, and poor living conditions. Mohamed ElBaradei, seen as the most likely candidate for an interim presidency, called for the ousting of President Hosni Mubarak as a possible objective.
While localised protests had been commonplace in previous years, major protests and riots broke out all over the country starting on 25 January, known as the "Day of Anger", a date selected by Egyptian opposition groups and others for a major demonstration. The 2011 protests have been called "unprecedented" for Egypt, and "the largest display of popular dissatisfaction in recent memory". These have been the largest demonstrations seen in Egypt since the 1977 Egyptian Bread Riots. And for the first time, Egyptians from different socio-economic backgrounds and faiths have joined in protest together.
The capitol city of Cairo has been described ...
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