Egypt in a Time of Revolution: Contentious Politics and the Arab Spring (Cambridge Studies in Contentious Politics)

This book considers the diverse forms of mass mobilization and contentious politics that emerged during the Egyptian Revolution of 2011 and its aftermath. Drawing on a catalogue of more than 8,000 protest events, as well as interviews, video footage and still photographs, Neil Ketchley provides the first systematic account of how Egyptians banded together to overthrow Husni Mubarak, and how old regime forces engineered a return to authoritarian rule. Eschewing top-down, structuralist and culturalist explanations, the author shows that the causes and consequences of Mubarak's ousting can only be understood by paying close attention to the evolving dynamics of contentious politics witnessed in Egypt since 2011. Setting these events within a larger social and political context, Ketchley sheds new light on the trajectories and legacies of the Arab Spring, as well as recurring patterns of contentious collective action found in the Middle East and beyond. On 25 January 2011, Egyptian Police Shot And Killed Mustafa Ragab Mahmoud, A Nineteen-year-old High School Dropout, In The Arbayeen District Of The Suez. Mahmoud, One Of Several Thousand Anti-mubarak Protesters Who Had Taken To The Streets That Day, Was The First Martyr Of The 25th January Revolution. By The Evening Of 25 January And Following Violent Clashes With The Police, Three More Protestors Had Died In The Suez, And Over A Hundred Were Wounded. In Response To The Killings, Local Residents And The Relatives Of The Martyrs Laid Siege To The Arbayeen District Police Station. Armed With Molotov Cocktails And Other Improvised Weapons, The Protestors Skirmished With Police Units, Before Setting Fire To The Police Station And A Number Of Police Vehicles. Several Police Checkpoints, As Well As The Headquarters Of Mubarak's National Democratic Party, Were Also Attacked. By The Afternoon Of 28 January, Police Commanders, Stunned By The Outbreak Of Violence, Had Ordered Their Forces To Fall Back To The Outskirts Of The City, Leaving Upwards Of 50,000 Anti-regime Protestors To March On The Governorate Building. Meanwhile, Amid Rumours Of Looting, Suez's Residents Formed Impromptu Neighbourhood Popular Committees (ligan Sha?biyya) And Descended Onto The Streets To Protect Their Property. Collective Violence -- Fraternization -- Democratic Transition -- Manufacturing Dissent -- Anti-coup Mobilization. Neil Ketchley. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Contents 10 Figures 11 Tables 13 Preface and Acknowledgments 14 A Note on Transliteration 17 1 Introduction 20 2 Collective Violence 37 3 Fraternization 65 4 Democratic Transition 97 5 Manufacturing Dissent 122 6 Anti-Coup Mobilization 149 7 Conclusion 176 Appendix 182 Bibliography 188 Index 212