Understanding Protest Diffusion: The Case Of The Egyptian Uprising Of 2011

Description

This book traces the mobilization process leading up to the January 25 Uprising, and furthers our understanding of the largely unexpected diffusion of protest during this Egyptian Revolution. Focusing on the role of the so-called “Cairo-based political opposition,” this study strongly suggests a need to pay closer attention to the complexity and contingent nature of such large-scale protest episodes. Building on interviews with activists, employees of NGOs in the human rights advocacy sector, and journalists, this in-depth single case study reveals how different movement organizations in the Egyptian prodemocracy movement had long, and largely unsuccessfully, tried to mobilize support for socio-political change in the country. Against this backdrop, the book illustrates how a coalition of activists sought to organize a protest event against police brutality in early 2011. The resulting protests on January 25 surprised not only the regime of Hosni Mubarak, but also the organizers. Acknowledgements......Page 6 Contents......Page 8 1 Introduction......Page 9 The Puzzle and Central Argument......Page 10 Plan of the Book......Page 15 References......Page 18 2 It Did Not Start on National Police Day......Page 21 Domestic Protests, Non-domestic Claims......Page 22 Domestic Protests and Domestic Claims......Page 27 Kefaya and Its Successors......Page 29 Come April: New Actors, Claims, Connections, and Tactics......Page 32 The Return of Baradei: A Campaign Built on Hope......Page 39 An Increasing Current Threat......Page 42 Increasing Opportunity: Tunisian Hopes......Page 49 Chapter Summary......Page 52 References......Page 54 3 Planning and Coordinating a Protest, Not a Revolution......Page 59 Organizing and Mobilizing for #Jan25......Page 60 Planning the Protests on National Police Day......Page 64 Rallying Support, Coordinating Actors, and Disseminating Information......Page 69 Contentious Collective Action on #Jan25......Page 76 New and Old Protesters......Page 80 Chapter Summary......Page 85 References......Page 86 4 From Protest to Revolution......Page 88 Preparing for January 28......Page 89 Preparing the ‘Friday of Rage’......Page 91 Preparing to Counter the ‘Friday of Rage’......Page 95 Meet You at the Mosque......Page 98 Contentious Collective Action on January 28 and Beyond......Page 103 Diffusion and Escalation......Page 106 Small-Scale Coordination During the Final 15 Days......Page 111 Defeating a Pharaoh......Page 114 Chapter Summary......Page 116 References......Page 118 5 The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same......Page 120 Continuity and Change......Page 123 References......Page 130 Index......Page 133