What do Mohamed Ali’s viral videos mean for Egypt’s future?
People took to the streets in Egypt after a former military contractor posted videos describing political corruption.
They’ve been disappeared, silenced, and censored, but Egyptians are taking to the streets once again.
A few hundred protesters scattered across Egypt have been calling for an end to Abdel Fattah el-Sisi‘s rule, following a series of videos that went viral online.
They were posted by Mohamed Ali, a part-time actor and former military contractor now living in Barcelona, who described tales of rampant corruption, implicating the president himself.
Soon after, others began posting videos, many of which appeared to be the work of military personnel.
In a country that has clamped down on the media for years – jailing journalists, blocking websites and independent news outlets, silencing dissident voices, and filtering information through state-owned news networks – the protests were a rare instance of political unrest.
Some analysts say these developments may give a clue as to what’s next for el-Sisi’s government.
“It is not as simple as a dictator gone rogue and a people rising to tell him leave. There are forces, clearly, within the Egyptian deep state that are looking to finalise a solution,” says Amr Khalifa, an analyst and political columnist.
“I’ve spoken to many … people on the ground. And indications are that the very same people who three weeks ago were saying ‘Don’t jump in the fray, this is a battle between generals,’ are now saying: ‘Whoa. Time out’. This arrogance cannot be allowed to stand. Hundreds have been arrested,'” he says.
“The regime is sending out messages that they are looking for a fight, and I believe that the people will give it to them.”