25/01/11- 08/02/11

25 January will be a date enshrined in the country’s history. That was the day Egyptians decided to end the country's last pharaonic dynasty with a large, violent burst of people's revolution. Young Egyptians joined the "Khaled Saeed" Facebook group to launch the call for an uprising against tyranny, oppression, torture, corruption and injustice. 

Three days later, more than a million Egyptians took to the streets in support of the uprising. Anti-riot police used maximum force but finally had to retreat.The army had to step in and were immediately embraced by protesters too.This is a the “Friday of Rage”. Mr. Mubarak called the army into the streets and late that night ordered his government to resign but did not offer to step down himself. He named the head of military intelligence, Omar Suleiman, as his new vice president, and the air force chief, Ahmed Shafik, as prime minister, in an attempt to shore up support among the military.

After eight days of protests, Mubarak started to get the hint – that he is no longer wanted as a president by his own people. The president's termination letter has been sealed by millions of Egyptians. After 30 years of ruling Egypt, the 83-year-old man has clearly become detached from reality.

The demands of the protesters were beautifully crystallised in two chants: "The people want the regime down" and "Bread, freedom and human dignity". 

On the 7th of February, the reorganized government announced a 15 percent salary hike for its six million employees, a move apparently aimed at shoring up support for Mr. Mubarak and defusing popular support for the protests. Elsewhere in Cairo, many parts of the city appeared to be returning to normal.

As the authorities and protesters struggle to grasp the see-sawing initiative in the 15-day-old revolt, the government unveiled new pledges of reform, but demonstrators gathered in ever greater numbers to reject anything less than the president’s immediate ouster.