The Egyptian Revolution, that took place January 2011, was a period of time in which many people were deprived of their basic human rights. These rights included freedom of speech, the right to petition, and freedom of choice. Because of these limited freedoms, thousands of Egyptians gathered in the streets of Cairo and Alexandria protesting against their government. I think that limiting freedoms of basic human rights are an unjustified action that should have no place in any society.

I think to fully understand the Egyptian Revolution, one must know about Egypt's, now former, president: Mubarak Hosni. "Mubarak is widely recognized as a dictator. He has ruled the country under 'state of emergency' laws since the 1981 assassination of former president Anwar Sadat (1918–1981). Under state-of-emergency laws, basic human rights have been suspended and freedom of speech strictly curtailed." (Egyptian Anti-Government Protests)

President Mubarak had limited freedoms, such as: freedom of speech and the right to petition. Many citizens had no idea what to do. After seeing the revolution in Tunisia: The "Jasmine Revolution," Egyptians decided to take a stand. Rumors spread to thousands of Egyptians of this protest that was to be conducted on January 25th. No one knew exactly what was going to happen. Even so, hundreds of thousands gathered that day, to take part in what is now known as "The Day of Rage."

The Day of Rage consisted of many Egyptians protesting (in Cairo and Alexandria) because they could not stand the treatment they were getting from the Mubarak regime. Even the right to vote was out of the question. If they voted for anyone other than Mubarak, they were beaten and thrown in prison. They were tired of it. They wanted President Mubarak out of office. As President Mubarak watched the people, he started sending the police force to take care of it. Fights between civilians and the police erupted and caused more turmoil. There were several people killed and hundreds were injured. After much "rage", President Mubarak made a televised address stating that he would not leave until his term was over. This ignited into more violence and anger among the people, and so with each pressing hour, the Egyptian people protested that Mubarak had to leave immediately.

On February 11th, President Mubarak, tired of the many protests and arguments, resigned from office and left to an Egyptian resort: Sharm el-Sheik. The people of Egypt rejoiced for their freedom from Mubarak's dictatorship. They sided with the military to help them regain support. Although many are happy about this new development, there are still many problems that Egypt faces: deciding on their rule and how things will be run. There is a particular concern that the Emergency Rule has not yet been lifted. Workers are demanding better pay and working conditions and have been protesting on this matter. Egyptians are still unsure of what can be done and how they will get back on track. But with Mubarak out of the way, they are sure more upbeat about their situation.

Even so, some people don't think Mubarak was all that bad: "Mubarak... did more positive than negative things for his country." (Al Neuharth. USA Today) This quote by Al Neuharth, shows that some still believe that Mubarak was a good leader. I agree that he develop an alliance with the United States and strived to be of assistance to us. However, taking into account the deeds he has done in limiting freedoms and taking violent action against his protestors to the point of death; it may not be the wisest leadership tactic. I think Limiting freedoms in unjustified and should never be done in the first place. It may just save an entire country and maybe Mubarak wouldn't have had to deal with the scourge of angry people from the get go. It could have saved lives.

Works Cited
o
"Egyptian Anti-Government Protests." Global Issues in Context Online Collection. Detroit: Gale, 2011. Global Issues In Context. Web. 25 Apr. 2011.
o
Neuharth, Al. "Egypt's Mubarak is like Nixon, not LBJ." USA Today 4 Feb. 2011: 13A. Global Issues In Context. Web. 27 Apr. 2011.
o
“Egyptian Revolution” Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, 2010 http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/ReferenceDetailsPage/ReferenceDetailsWindow?displayGroupName=Reference&action=e&windowstate=normal&catId=GALE|AAA000028921&documentId=GALE|PC3010999026&mode=view&
o
“Expert Witness” Spectator. Feb.12. 2011. Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection. <galegroup.com>
o
"Revolution in Egypt (Special Report)." Encyclopedia. Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, Feb. 2011. Web. 27 Apr. 2011. <http://www.2facts.com/article/xn16610>.
o
"U.S. Response to Overseas Democracy Movements." Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 14 Mar. 2011. Web. 27 Apr. 2011. <http://www.2facts.com/article/i1600130>.