Arab Spring happening all over again in Egypt

THE international media is focusing on the recent protests in Cairo, Egypt.

On Friday night, hundreds of Egyptians congregated in Tahrir Square, well known for the Egyptian Revolution 2011, to demand for the resignation of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

According to media reports, the protests was due to corruption allegations against Sisi’s regime.

Besides Cairo, protesters gathered and demonstrated in Alexandria, Suez, Gharbiya and Mahala, Mansoura and Damietta.

At Tahrir Square, protesters chanted and called for Sisi to step down.

The government arrested a large number of protesters and used tear gas to disperse the crowd. Videos posted online showed security forces chasing down protesters in Cairo using riot vans. Up to this point, no deaths have been reported.

At the time of the protests, Sisi was on his way to the United States to attend the United Nations General Assembly.

It all started when social media hashtags by the anti-Sisi movement translated as “That’s _enough_Sisi” went viral for weeks, in which Egyptian businessman and actor Mohamed Ali shared videos and called for Egyptians to pressure Sisi to step down.

A dozen videos that exposed the luxurious lifestyle of the leader were posted by Mohamed, and sparked dissatisfaction and frustration in the people as the country is struggling with economic stability. The videos showed officials misappropriating millions in public funds for personal projects.

Mohamed became the talk of the town, a public hero and a whistleblower.

Sisi, who has been in power since 2014 through a military coup, is known worldwide for his tyranny and suppression of Egyptians. The Sisi government is struggling to rebuild Egypt’s economy since the 2011 uprising. Some 32.5 per cent of Egyptians are living below the poverty line.

Some media are calling the event as a rare protest as Egypt had outlawed all unauthorised demonstrations since 2013 after Sisi took over as president.

AISYAH ABDUL HADI Kuala Lumpur