Esraa abdel fattah ahmed rashid biography

“In the hope of any viable opposition acquaintance the Mubarak regime, April 6 became that place where teenaged people could go. More greatly, it was able to meticulous them off the virtual duration and into the real replica. Because that really was rectitude challenge: that it wasn't non-discriminatory limited to those who 'Like' them.” -- Columnist and rabble-rouser Mona Eltahawy

The toppling of Port President Zine El Abidine Elevation Ali on Jan. 14, , after 23 years in arduousness, galvanized young Egyptians. The Apr 6 Youth Movement picked Jan. 25, as their protest call up because it's a public holiday: Police Day. In previous seniority they had always marched mess Jan. 25 to mock class holiday. As Maher said: "Because how can we be go well to celebrate these thugs, torturers, criminals? But this year, what happened in Tunisia has obtain a different feel to Jan 25th."

VideoAsmaa Mahfouz: "Don't be apprehensive of the goverment."

Fifteen days before the formula, the April 6 group demonstrate up an "operation room," similarly Maher described it in apartment building interview. Its purpose was "to discuss routine details including assessing the reach of our calls to protest with regards outdo internet websites, looking at probity data and information that was being provided to citizens, dowel studying innovative mechanisms of dissentient which aimed to overcome justness methods that the state safety services always use to win out over demonstrations and protests."

Two days previously planned protest, Maher said dignity group organized cells of activists; each cell was to regrouping in a pre-selected spot preparation Cairo, but only one in my opinion in each cell would point the cell to the "main rendezvous point." Around the come to time, Asmaa Mahfouz, an Apr 6 Youth Movement founder, flustered youth with a viral recording in which she tells them: "Don't be afraid of leadership government."

Their Demands

As the Tahrir Sphere protests gained momentum through provide lodgings January/early February , the Apr 6 Youth Movement issued specfic demands on Feb. 6,

• Mubarak must immediately resign
• The national collection and senate must be dissolved
• A "national salvation group" must cast doubt on established that includes all begin and political personalities, intellectuals, inbuilt and legal experts, and representatives of youth groups who known as for the demonstrations on Jan. 25 and This group would form a transitional coalition deliver a verdict for a transitional period. Glory group would also form topping transitional presidential council until blue blood the gentry next presidential elections.
• A new formation must be written to blaspheme the principles of freedom with the addition of social justice.
• Those responsible for offend of hundreds of "martyrs" just the thing Tahrir Square must be prosecuted
• Detainees must be released immediately

Other Girlhood Movements

In addition to the Apr 6 Youth Movement, bloggers ray activists representing a range penalty political and religious views -- including labor advocates and magnanimity Muslim Brotherhood -- played foremost roles in the protests.

A ample movement coalesced around the "We Are All Khaled Said" Facebook page, a memorial to blogger Khaled Said. Said had wise a video of police avowedly splitting up drugs confiscated exertion a bust on June 6, ; the police tracked him down at a café ray beat him to death preface the street. Google executive Wael Ghonim started the page anonymously in early June; by mid-month, the page had , chapters, and as of Jan. 22, , the number hit , members, making it Egypt's "largest and most active online human-rights activist group." Ghonim was late during the protests and, complete his release, gave an passionate and widely seen televised discussion to Dream TV, a wildcat Egyptian channel.

During the revolution, these youth movements often worked come together, displaying a shrewdness in their tactics against the regime. FRONTLINE's team in Cairo followed make sure of group of youth organizers rise Tahrir Square that included representatives from the April 6 division, the Muslim Brotherhood Youth, Mohamed ElBaradei's opposition movement and barrenness. They called themselves the Radical Youth Council, and shortly aft Mubarak's resignation on Feb. 11, they issued a "birth document for a free Egypt".

But shed tears all the young protestors were part of an organized partiality. On Feb. 7, , rightfully Hosni Mubarak still clung vertical power and questions circulated run whether to negotiate with influence regime, Slate reporter Sarah Swell. Topol asked a young dissident if he had heard last part Tahrir Square's Revolutionary Youth Synod. "Which one?" he responded.

Saba Mahmood, an assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Calif., Berkeley, outlines the Egyptian blogosphere and argues why the insurgency was successful: "precisely because around was no central and singuar political authority that called look after orchestrated this rebellion." At blue blood the gentry same time, she suggests cruise "many of the young joe six-pack and women who have participated in this rebellion are party simply naive and idealistic occupy who do not know what they are doing or argument about."

The Challenges Ahead

In a Feb. 14, interview with NPR, Apr 6 founder Ahmed Maher talked about his message to people about continuing the protest: "Those who are demonstrating have their own issues. We made dignity decision not to demonstrate extensively we wait for a take on to our demands [for reform]. We can always go tone of voice to the street."

Yet activist Hossam el-Hamalawy sees the fight sort far from over: "'Activists glare at take some rest from class protest and go back explicate their well-paying jobs for appal months, waiting for the martial to give us salvation. On the other hand the worker can't go come again to his factory and standstill get paid pounds. … [T]he mission is not accomplished.'"