On January 25, 2011, Egyptians protested the dictatorship of Hosni Mubarak and ousted him from power. From Mubarak’s rule stemmed low wages, police brutality, high food prices, corruption, and violations of freedom of speech. These conditions left many Egyptians poor, hungry, and without a means to change their lives for the better. Protestors demanded better pay, an end to police brutality, and the right to have a say in the government’s decisions. After so many years of living in poverty under a dictator, the Egyptians rebelled and inspired other rebellions in nearby Arab countries. Most believed that the protests started when a Tunisian fruit vendor set himself on fire to protest the abuse of peasants he saw around him. The Egyptians used social media, marches, sit-ins, and other civil disobedience methods to rebel against their government. After the ousting of Mubarak, the protesters thought they had succeeded in bringing permanent reform to Egypt by hosting their first democratic election. However, when the Egyptians saw little change in their leaders throughout the following years, protests renewed again.

In June, what was termed the June 30 Revolution, people protested in Egypt and demanded the resignation of Egypt’s then-president Mohamed Morsi. Holding competing protests were Morsi’s supporters, who gave the protesters a nearby target for violence. Many fights broke out amongst the two different groups of Egyptian protesters. The June 30 Revolution was a culmination of seven months of protesting the government’s increasing power and other factors such as popular petitions and mass unrest. The protests started when Morsi issued a draft constitution that gave him unlimited powers over the state’s judicial system. This outraged the Egyptian protesters of 2011 who were dissapointed in Morsi’s policies. When the demonstrations began again in 2013, they started out peacefully. However, the protesters turned violent and the headquarters of the Muslim Brotherhood were attacked and five members were killed in the following conflict. The protests were also a response to a petition that was launched earlier in the year. The petition demanded that the existing government structure resign, and was supported by over 22 million signatures collected from the Egyptian people. The petition was a reflection of the government’s shift towards authoritarianism, a change not supported by the Egyptian population.

This shows that while the protesters were pro-democracy, the leaders that rose up afterward showed signs of little change. After the ruling dictators were removed, many westerners believed that new tyrants had taken their place. Since then, Egypt’s current president, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, has used violent crackdowns on protesters exhibiting civil disobedience in order to keep the populace in control. However, all al-Sisi’s efforts have failed to completely douse the revolutionary fire that consumed so many lives four years ago. Protests have begun again in Egypt in Cairo, Giza, Alexandria, Damietta, Fayoum, Beni Suef, Kafr Al-Sheikh, and North Sinai.

The most recent protests in 2015, while small and disorganized, have already produced casualties and many injuries on both sides of the conflict. Seventeen people were killed on Sunday, January 25, 2014, and forty-five were injured. Protesters accuse policemen of shooting civilians and in the streets, and people are chanting, “Down with military rule!” Al-Sisi’s authoritarian government has lacked support, but the demonstrations so far have been small, unorganized, and lacked unity. When asked, an anonymous student in the WFS community commented, “It seems unlikely that the protestors will be able to make any headway in creating a permanent change considering the military presence the government has and how it is greater than their own.” It has been observed that the Islamic protesters and the non-Islamic protesters have been demonstrating in different areas and neighborhoods. The newest mini-rebellion presents many challenges. The Egyptians have to find a way to overcome old religious barriers. One thing that made the 2011 protests so powerful was that everyone came together regardless of their gender, age or religion. Now, in 2015, protesters divide themselves by their religious ideology instead of working together. Many citizens want an end to the violence and deaths, something the protesters are not offering.

Protesters have recently used bombing as a strategy. Bombs have been set in public places in an attempt to attract attention. Two militants were believed to be killed while planting a bomb; however, the bombings have achieved very little in the way of change or reform. Protesters and policemen alike are being shot and bombed, but little has been done in the way of non-violent protests. The lack of success on the part of the militants has many wondering if violence is the way to reform.

The violence has affected both the government and the populace. The numerous deaths have demanded a response from the authorities, even if it is not the response that was intended. It is debatable whether or not the violence shown towards the government has improved the political climate. The protests have shown that they do not have the same rebellious spirit as they did in Tahrir Square four years ago. These protests have the potential to create a more stable and safe Egypt, but also to break down what foundations have been made. The various ideological groups in Egypt are divided by their faith. The protests have also created an atmosphere of violence, which is detrimental to the peacekeeping process.