Egyptians rose up against longtime dictator Hosni Mubarak in 2011, hundreds died in protests and the Tahrir Square demonstrations became a beacon of hope for the Arab world — and then they got Mohamed Morsi.
Protests have continued against the heavy-handed rule of the Islamists, ranging from dancing (!) outside the Muslim Brotherhood headquarters after the Islamists arrested students for doing the Harlem Shake to ongoing period clashes in the square that haven’t received as much media attention. Morsi’s government has continued to make missteps that galvanize opposition against the guy who won just over half of the popular vote — one of those missteps being the arrest of ultra-popular TV satirist Bassem Youssef for insulting Islam and Morsi.
On Sunday, get ready for “Tamarod” — Arabic for “Rebel.” Egyptians in this new secular opposition coalition said they have gathered 15 million signatures calling for Morsi’s removal. The nervous Muslim Brotherhood has been sacking officials they suspect are involved with Tamarod. And Morsi tried to beat back the movement in a two hour and 40 minute speech – “a unique mix of petty behavior, paternalistic threats, and complete disregard for truth or reality.”
Tamarod outlines well in their “message to the world” that they are more than willing to continue the fight for real democracy with peaceful protest — but “if the people of Egypt are not obeyed, another regime will fall.”
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