Amid massive protests in Egypt, the country's president, Hosni Mubarak, announced that he would not be a candidate in the elections scheduled for September. However, protesters were not satisfied with his remarks and continued to call for his immediate departure from the country.
New York Times reporter Nicholas Kristof, who has been reporting from Cairo, says the protesters and the government seem to have reached a sort of stalemate. The government has cut off access to necessities such as ATMs and Internet service to try to quell the protests, but Kristof tells the NewsHour that these measures only seem to have made the crowds more determined to oust Mubarak.
Massive crowds have gathered in the main square in Cairo, praying, shouting and destroying effigies of Mubarak, whose promise to step down from power in September has fallen on deaf ears.
Note: The first minute and 12 seconds of this video is a summary of Mubarak's statement. The middle portion of the video is an interview with New York Times reporter Nicholas Kristof, while the last portion beginning at 5:31 is an Independent Television News report from Cairo.
Quotes
"I find it kind of remarkable how such an incredibly disorganized group had managed to create the Tahrir protests with a certain degree of order." - Nicholas Kristof, the New York Times
"There is a strong sense that people want [Mubarak] out and out now. And the idea that he can say, 'Oh, you know, I won't run for re-election' is just so far from people's demands, that it's not going to placate people at Tahrir." - Nicholas Kristof, the New York Times
"My first responsibility right now is to regain calm and stability in our home country, to ensure the peaceful transition of leadership, and to ensure that the responsibility goes very peacefully to whoever the people of Egypt choose in the next election." - Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak
Warm Up Questions
1. Where is Egypt?
2. What is a revolution?
3. What are some freedoms that we have in the United States that people in some other countries don't have?
Discussion Questions
1. Do you think Egyptian protesters are right to insist that Mubarak leave now, or do you think they should be happy with his promise not to run for re-election? Why?
2. What do you think will happen next in Egypt?
3. Based on the video, how have the protests disrupted Egyptians' everyday lives?
4. How do you think the government's decision to shut down access to the Internet, ATMs and other necessities has affected the protests? Do you think it achieved the desired result? Why or why not?
Additional Resources
