News Brief: Fresh protests over workers rights erupt in Egypt

Fresh protests over workers rights erupt in Egypt 

A new wave of protests have surfaced in Egypt, as demonstrators now demand better pay and conditions from the military rulers. While the military did clear Tahrir Square, hundreds later returned — including bank, transport and tourism workers and even police who wanted to show support for the movement. Most protesters left the Square on Sunday after the military announced it would dissolve parliament and suspend the Egyptian constitution. “I think the military is concerned that this could turn into a series of protests across the country,” said Al Jazeera‘s James Bays. “If that happened, the only way they could stop them would probably be to use force. And if they use force, that would end the respect and legitimacy the army has in the eyes of ordinary people.” The ruling military council says that security and a return to normalcy are its top priorities, calling on Egyptians to return to work and prevent any further damage to the country’s economy after nearly three weeks of protests. In addition, the military is encouraging the youth to form political parties, adding that it would meet with them regularly.   

• Young protesters clash with police in Bahrain.
• Palestinian Authority PM Salam Fayyad dissolves the PA cabinet.
• Security forces are deployed as protests continue to build in Tehran. 
• Hamas leader in Gaza calls on Egypt to open the blockade.
• Changes in Jordan may lead to criticism of the monarchy.

Daily Snapshot

Iraqis gather in Baghdad on February 14, 2011, as they hold a Valentine’s Day rally to call on their leaders to love the war-battered country rather than rob its resources, an organizer told AFP. (AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP/Getty Images)

Arguments & Analysis
‘What democracy will bring to the Arab world’ (Rami Khouri, The Daily Star)
“Egypt and Tunisia have sparked new life in a dead region and vigor in moribund states, making vibrant citizens of once-docile subjects. They have spurred marginalized states to reclaim a role in the world of dynamic countries. Widespread collective and individual humiliation is giving way to self-assertion; incompetent security states are giving way to re-legitimized governments and normal societies.… Neither those in the Middle East or the West who supported Arab autocrats for decades should offer any advice to Tunisians, Egyptians and the other Arabs to follow on how to proceed and what to beware of. The Arabs know what to do, for they have already brought us to the start of this road toward liberty and democracy.”

‘The Arab 1989’ (Kristian Coates, David Held, & Alia Brahimi, Open Democracy)
“The present is a moment of great promise, opportunity and uncertainty. The Arab world stands at the brink of transformative changes to ossified political regimes and, in increasing numbers, ordinary people are willing to risk their lives to force a break with the past. Demands for reform have shaken the tottering autocrats and brutally exposed their repressive nature in the face of mass calls for political freedom, democracy and human rights. Neither will the taste of freedom of expression and assembly enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of demonstrators be easily contained or re-sealed. Meanwhile the impact of the internet and new media on burgeoning youth populations will only grow over time, making any attempts to cling to the status quo all the more unsustainable. These trajectories will have profound domestic repercussions that will play out over years and decades. On the other hand, western (and Israeli) nervousness at the weakening of their regional partners may also translate into support for partial reforms that jettison unpopular leaders but sustain underlying authoritarian structures. The choices that will be made in coming weeks and months will largely determine whether the groundswell of demonstrations in the Arab world yield meaningful transitions from autocracy to substantive democratization, or whether the west continues to prioritize stability over democracy even in the face of such affirmation of universal values by so many people throughout the Arab world. ”

‘America’s proud Egypt moment’ (Peter Beinart, The Daily Beast)
The point isn’t that America is always a force for democracy. Far from it. But when nations rise up nonviolently against their pro-American tyrants, Americans across the political spectrum grow ashamed, and that shame can be the difference between a peaceful revolution and Tiananmen Square. These days, amidst our national self-flagellation and our anxieties about decline, that’s something worth savoring. In 2009, Barack Obama told an audience in Cairo that “America is not the crude stereotype of a self-interested empire.” Now, in 2011, he-and we-have proved it. It’s a proud moment for Egypt, and for America too.”