After a long eighteen days of violence, Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak was finally forced to step down.
The whole world has been watching the ongoing events in Egypt for over two weeks now, waiting for a miracle to end the violence, including Nasser Razek, president of the UA chapter of the Egyptian Student Association.
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After a long eighteen days of violence, Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak was finally forced to step down.
The whole world has been watching the ongoing events in Egypt for over two weeks now, waiting for a miracle to end the violence, including Nasser Razek, president of the UA chapter of the Egyptian Student Association.
Mubarak was Egypt’s President for thirty years. The 83-year-old placed his country in $880 billion dollars of debt throughout this rule. Monies that were supposed to be going out to the country were instead going to him, his family and the Egyptian government.
On Jan. 25, demonstrations started in Cairo. The Egyptian people asked for Mubarak to step down as President so that they could have better reform in their country.
Police made an appearance and killed 350 of the demonstrators. This turn of events outraged the citizens of Egypt. Demonstrations began to show up all over the country in every city.
A total of 8 million people joined together all over Egypt to demonstrate against this unreformed government. Police began using weapons such as machine guns, tear gas, fire hoses, bottles and more against the demonstrators.
Mubarak wasn’t about to step down and the government was getting desperate to end all the chaos. The police withdrew from the streets and opened up the prisons. They freed all the inmates and gave each of them weapons. This was their plan for scaring the demonstrators away.
Not only did this plan not work, but it also made the demonstrators even more determined to stand their ground.
The government then proceeded on to their next plan: hiring thugs. They were given weapons including machine guns. The demonstrators made barracks to shield themselves from the attack. They even broke the tiling in the streets to throw at the thugs.
When this didn’t work, the government ordered the Egyptian army to attack. The army refused to do so and instead brought in their tanks to protect their people. Demonstrators were found sleeping under the tanks so that the army could not leave. They felt safe with them there.
Communications in Egypt were completely blocked for a while. The internet and cell phones were shut down. Trains, Egypt’s most popular form of transportation, were next to go. Communications were eventually reopened when the government realized they needed to be able to use the banks.
Any reporters from other countries were unwanted and being detained. Several were injured and some were even shot by snipers.
Christians and Muslims each held their own masses in the streets. While Christians were praying, Muslims would stand around them to protect them, and vice versa.
People were basically living in the streets. They had built bathrooms and hospitals in tents to help those who were injured.
Mubarak refused to step down for a long time, but eventually caved in. It appears as though the Egyptian army may now be piecing the country back together. The streets have now begun to clear out. No one knows what will happen next.
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