The Egyptian Revolution and Arab Spring

On January 25, 2011, inspired by Tunisia's Jasmine Revolution, hundreds of thousands of Egyptians gathered in Cairo's Tahrir Square demanding the end of President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year authoritarian rule. The protests, organized largely through social media, grew into the largest demonstrations in Egyptian history. For 18 days, Egyptians from all social classes occupied Tahrir Square, enduring tear gas, rubber bullets, and attacks by pro-government thugs. On February 11, Mubarak resigned and handed power to the military. The euphoria was electric — the most populous Arab nation had toppled a dictator through peaceful protest. But the revolution's promise quickly unraveled: Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood won the 2012 presidential election but governed divisively. In 2013, General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi led a military coup, cracked down on the Brotherhood and secular activists alike, and established a regime more authoritarian than Mubarak's. The Egyptian revolution became a cautionary tale about how quickly democratic hope can be reversed.