Egyptian Protesters Demand President Step Down

Egyptians have been taking to the streets for a week, often clashing with riot police who threw tear gas, used batons and turned fire hoses on the crowds. Reports indicate that about 100 people have died in the protests and thousands have been injured. Many demonstrators responded to police force by kneeling and praying in nonviolent protest. President Mubarak’s government also deployed the military to maintain order, which promised not to take violent action against the crowds.

The protests in Egypt come on the heels of Tunisians’ successful revolution against their longtime leader Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali. Since the uprising in Tunisia, the world's attention has been focused on the Middle East, where most countries are ruled by autocrats -- leaders who have been in power for a long time. Egypt is the most populous country in the region and has also been an important ally for the U.S. and other Western countries in the fight against terrorism.

Young people march for a better future

	Egypt has an extremely young population that is calling for better access to good jobs and education.

Egypt has one of the youngest populations in the world, with approximately two thirds of its people under the age of 30. In the U.S., the median, or average age, is 36.8 years, while in Egypt, the average age is 24.

Tareq Masoud, a professor at Harvard University, told the NewsHour that about 30 percent of young people in Egypt are unemployed and feel that a lack of basic freedoms has prevented them from opportunities available to young people in other parts of the world.

“This last election was unique in the level of rigging and all of the departures from free and fair elections,” Masoud said. “So, I think there's a lot of anger and a lot of grievance.”

Online communication is key

	Social media played a large role in organizing protests and forming a movement against Mubarak's government.

The Internet has been a major gathering point for the Egyptian protesters. Using applications like Facebook and Twitter, organizers tell them where and when to meet, gathering tens of thousands of online followers in the process.

Egyptians’ use of social media for protest purposes was born out of an online reaction to a workers’ strike that was planned to take place in the industrial town of El-Mahalla El-Kubra in April of 2008. Online organizers urged supporters to stay home and wear black to support the striking workers, and the 90,000-strong “April 6 Youth Movement” online community has stayed active ever since as a forum for intense debate and discussion.

Because of the important role the Internet has played in the Egyptian protests, President Mubarak’s government stirred further anger among the crowds when it shut down Internet and mobile phone networks across the country.

"We need liberty; we need freedom," one protester told NPR. "The Internet is closed today and mobile phones and we can't connect to anyone. This is freedom?"

U.S. reaction is cautious

	President Obama speaks with Egyptian President Mubarak on the phone. The U.S. has been cautious about its position on the protests since Egypt is a major U.S. ally.

On Jan. 28, President Obama spoke to reporters about the unrest in Egypt, urging the Egyptian government to “refrain from any violence against peaceful protesters” and to “reverse the actions that they’ve taken to interfere with access to the Internet.”

However, President Obama stopped short of calling for Mubarak to step down. The U.S. provides billions of dollars in military aid to Egypt and relies on the Egyptian government for help navigating the difficult Middle Eastern political situation.

Mohamed ElBaradei, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and noted critic of Mubarak’s government, has become a symbolic leader of the protest movement and joined the march against the current regime. In a series of interviews with American news outlets, ElBaradei said President Obama shouldn't be the last person to tell Mubarak, "It's time for you to go," and that Mubarak isn't the right person to bring about democratic reforms.

What will happen next?

	Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak told his people he would re-organize the government, but protesters want him to step down as well.

Mubarak made a statement to his people after the protests began indicating that he would dissolve the current government and appoint new cabinet leaders. However, he gave no sign that he would step down himself, and protests continued calling for his resignation.

The demonstrations appear to be gaining strength toward a planned march on the presidential palace on Feb. 4 if Mubarak does not leave office by then, regional analysts say.

Security has broken down in some parts of Egypt, and looting of stores, homes and even museums has occurred. Foreigners, including thousands of Americans, are being evacuated from Egypt on emergency flights as the world waits to see whether the protesters’ demands are met.