Peaceful Protest Turn Violent in Egypt

The unprecedented peaceful protests in Egypt started about nine days ago with thousands marching in the street chanting anti-government slogans after a fellow Arab country to the west (Tunisia) had its own uprising against its dictatorship. Egypt along with other Arab countries across the region were poised for their own revolution, and took advantage of the momentum which began anti-government protest in the streets. Facebook and Twitter have played a huge roll in how this revolution is playing out and being reported on. It was clear on both social networking sites that not only were Egyptians fed up with Hosni Mubarak’s nearly 30 years as president of Egypt, but were courageous enough now to venture out in public and express their opinions openly.

Hosni Mubarak was Vice President for Anwar al-Sadat before he was assassinated in the early 1980’s. After the assassination Mubarak became president has been so since, with an “election” here, to created an appearance of democracy in the country. During his presidency Mubarak was a close ally to the U.S. and Israel in a region where allies are hard to come by. He played a vital role in cracking down on extremist involvement in the government, and outlawed the infamous fundamentalist group, The Muslim Brotherhood. Because of his actions against extremist groups and the so-called stability he created, Mubarak was favored by the U.S. as the leader of the most populous Arab country in the world for decades.

His government and feared police force are also known for their malicious treatment of Egyptian citizens, and did not allow freedom of the press or speech. Stories of torture at the hands of the government were also common. The people of Egypt are demanding a democracy in their country and the ousting of President Hosni Mubarak.

The thousands that have gathered to peacefully protest Mubarak’s government were no longer allowed to peacefully protest. Today men on camels attacked them with whips. Also among the hundreds of supposedly pro-Mubarak attackers were men armed with Molotov cocktails and rocks to hurl at the peaceful protesters. The standoff ensued between the two groups, as both sides threw rocks causing some injuries. The clashes have lasted for hours and created enough angst in the Obama Administration that the President ask that Mubarak step down as president of Egypt to stop further violence. Dozens have already died and the military appears to have little success with quelling the riots and assaults on peaceful protesters and journalist.

This group that has caused chaos in the hordes of once peaceful protesters has not stopped the demonstrators from defending themselves and continuing their protest for a democratic government in Egypt. Egypt was not the first Arab country to have an uprising against its oppressive government this year and it most definitely would not be the last. With demonstrations breaking out from Jordan to Yemen it is clear the Middle East will be a place to pay even closer attention to, because it will have an affect on the entire world.