The
significance of the recent demonstrations, however, is not in the
number of its participants but in the fact that this is the first time
since Mubarak came to power in 1981 that a grass-roots political
opposition movement is raising its voice on domestic grievances in the
public sphere.
The
loose political alliance which spearheads the Kifaya movement was
facilitated by the long-standing anti-War movement anti-globalization
movement which reached its zenith in the course of the second
Palestinian Intifada and the American invasion of
Iraq
.
The
reluctance of the government to publicly challenge strong
pro-Palestinian and pan-Arab sentiments provided the, until then,
strongly divided Egyptian dissident political movements with a cover
under which to mobilize on domestic issues.
The
first time anti-regime slogans were publicly chanted on the street was
during the March 20, 2003, demonstration against the US invasion of
Iraq and the shocked authorities responded with an iron fist.
With
the ensuing arrest and torture of numerous activists, the regime made
a clear statement that such public dissidence would not be tolerated.
However,
the young movement would not be intimidated and their persistence
combined with increasing foreign pressure on the regime to make
democratic reforms has forced the authorities to limit the use of state violence
against its civilians.
Next
Step
Monday’s
demonstration was the third in a series of street protests that are
planned for the coming months leading up to the presidential
elections, which are scheduled to take place in August 2005.
The
first Kifaya rally was held in December in front of Egypt’s Supreme Court and the second was held in early February in Cairo’s
International Book Fair.
The
current constitution gives the president’s National Democratic Party
the exclusive right to put forward a single candidate for the
presidency, and Mubarak has already made it clear that he is more than
ready for a fifth term of another six years.
However,
despite the widespread discontent about the increasing economic misery,
the pervasive corruption, the lack of freedom of expression and the
dictatorial nature of the regime, the level of public dissent remains
surprisingly modest.
The
abject poverty which forces many Egyptians to moonlight for a living
and decades of political oppression have left the masses with a
deep-rooted resignation towards political action.
In
addition, despite the passion and dedication of Kifaya’s activists,
the movement yet needs to present a viable political program in case a
regime change is effected.
The
awakening of the popular political consciousness remains an immense
challenge under the present conditions, no matter how eloquent and
courageous the dissenters may seem to be.
The
eventual success of the movement will primarily depend on the
willingness of the Egyptian people to stand up to state intimidation.
It remains to be seen if the heavily guarded Cairene street is the
most effective space in which a reversal of the political indifference
of the masses could take place.
