In this documentary, AJEnglish  analyses the two-and-a-half year story of the events that led to the ousting of a president after 30 years of autocratic rule, the first free and fair elections in Egypt’s history, a new president elected, but deposed 13 months later, and a cycle of violence taking the country to the verge of civil war, facing an uncertain future.

This story starts in December 2010, when mass protests in Tunisia led to the toppling of that country’s president. Protesters demonstrating over high unemployment, food inflation, corruption and the denial of political freedoms, were met with brutal force at the hands of the police and security forces. But, after 28 days of continued resistance, President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was ousted after 23 years in power.

This televised revolution was watched across the Arab world and triggered a series of similar revolts by equally disaffected populations. It was the start of what would quickly become known as the ‘Arab Spring’.

Inspired by the revolution in Tunisia, small networks of Egyptian activists geared up for mass action. They had been agitating against President Hosni Mubarak’s autocratic rule for years, but they had never before attracted the kind of mass support that was manifested once Tunisia showed the people just what could be achieved.

Their demands were simple: political freedoms, an end to state corruption and a better quality of life for an impoverished population.

There were signs that a significant majority of the Egyptian people were growing increasingly frustrated, but could this spirit transcend the realm of social media and actually bring people out onto the streets? 

That question appeared to be answered on the morning of January 25, 2011, when Egyptians decided to start protest marches around the country, calling for greater freedoms and political change… MORE