cfc in brief - port said protests, 21 march 2013

7/29/2019 CFC In Brief - Port Said Protests, 21 March 2013

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Source: CNN

Port Said ProtestsTrista Guertin

Mediterranean Basin Team Leader

[email protected]

20 March 2013

This document discusses the growing discontent and political tu rmoil in Egypt, and the correlated protests and civil disobedi ence in the

city of Port Said, and outlines the historic animosity between the port city and the central government as well as the response by the

Egyptian president. Related information is available at www.cimicweb.org. Hy perlinks to source materi al are h igh li gh ted in blu e an dunderl ined in th e text. Al l maps are hyperl inked to th eir source locations. The Arab worlds most populous country, Egypt, has been embroiled in political turmoil since the ousting of former President Hosni

Mubarak on 11 February 2011, according to the Christian Science Monitor. Mubarak, who held power for nearly thirty years, was toppled

by a popular uprising and social discontent over the pervasive abuse by state security agencies. Mubaraks position was temporarilyreplaced by a council of generals that ran the country for seventeen months, until theelection of President Mohamed Morsiin June 2012.

The military council rule was marked by violence and accusations of mismanagement during the transitional period. Nearly two years later,

the country is threatened to fall into bankruptcy and collapse due to the intensi fied internal political divisions and a growing financialcrisis.

Currently, the mood within the country is described as one of helplessness and anxiety, according to The Nation. The Morsi government

appears overwhelmed by the violent opposition to its ru le and a security sector that is increasingly losing control, informs the Global Post.Today, there are increasing calls fora military coup with a growing sentiment that Egyptian life was better under former President Hosni

Mubarak, according to The New York Times (NYT). Many of these outcries originate in Port Said, a strategic town at the Mediterranean

entrance of the Suez Canal. Port Said has carried out weeks of demonstrations and recently participated in civil disobedience following acourt decision related to the 2012 football riots in the city, according to the Associated Press (AP). The courts decision has escalated

tensions over the case and assumed political undercurrents at a time when the country is already embroiled in an economic crisis andopposition to President Mohammed Morsi continues to grow. This report wil l first provide an overview of the issues facing Egypt during this

period of democratic transition, as well as background on the events in Port Said and the related court rul ings. The report will follow with

an overview of the citys historically antagonistic relationship with Cairo, and a discussion on the governments response to the widespreadfrustration with President Morsi.

Background

In November 2012, President Morsi granted himself new sweeping powers,sidestepping the courts freeing his office of judicial oversight, and setting off

protesters who believed his actions were redolent of former President Mubaraks

dictatorial rule, according to The Guardian. Morsi wanted to prevent the courts fromdisbanding the constitutional assembly tasked with drafting the countrys new

constitution. Since then, protests on the streets of Cairo and the rest of the countryhave been commonplace; scenes of protesters ransacking buildings and setting

them alight have become the norm, and police have frequently resorted toteargas

to control crowds. Protesters remain incensed over continued violations and heavyhandedness of security services, claiming little has changed since the Mubarak era.

Many accuse Morsi and the Brotherhood of monopolising power and disregardingsecular and liberal groupswho were the backbone of the revolution.

Two years of social and political unrest have contributed to a severe economicdownturn for the country. Over the past months, Al Jazeera reports that Egypts

foreign currency reserves have sharply dropped to a critical level of USD 13.5billion, down from USD 36 billion in January 2011. Egyptians have been hit by

shortages of diesel fuel and rising prices of some basic commodities. According to

Reuters, the prices of food and drink rose 9.3 per cent over the past year, whileannual inflation rose 7.68 per cent, according to theCentral Bank. The Egyptian pound has lost 14 per cent against the US dollar since the 2011 revolut ion and the budget defici t is soaring. In

November 2012, discussions regarding a crucial USD 4.8 million loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) were delayed as aresultof the political turmoil surrounding the constitutional process. The loan is widely regarded as the saviour of the ailing economy, but its

delay has further eroded the confidence of other donors; one vital source of economic aid, Qatar, announced on 11 March that it would

not provide any further financial aid to the country in the near future, reports Global Post. Finally, on 19 March, the Egyptian government

Mediterranean Basin In-Brief
https://www.cimicweb.org/http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/02/world/africa/egypt-soccer-deathshttp://www.cnn.com/2012/02/02/world/africa/egypt-soccer-deathshttp://www.cnn.com/2012/02/02/world/africa/egypt-soccer-deathsmailto:[email protected]://www.cimicweb.org/http://www.cimicweb.org/http://www.cimicweb.org/http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Latest-News-Wires/2013/0211/Egyptians-mark-second-anniversary-of-Mubarak-s-ouster-with-protestshttp://www.csmonitor.com/World/Latest-News-Wires/2013/0211/Egyptians-mark-second-anniversary-of-Mubarak-s-ouster-with-protestshttp://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/m/mohamed_morsi/index.htmlhttp://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/m/mohamed_morsi/index.htmlhttp://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/m/mohamed_morsi/index.htmlhttp://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/international/13-Mar-2013/egypt-s-descent-into-lawlessness-a-bitter-own-goalhttp://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/international/13-Mar-2013/egypt-s-descent-into-lawlessness-a-bitter-own-goalhttp://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/middle-east/egypt/130312/egypt-police-strike-ends-while-islamist-faction-encouhttp://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/middle-east/egypt/130312/egypt-police-strike-ends-while-islamist-faction-encouhttp://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/10/world/middleeast/egypt-sentences-2012-soccer-riot.html?pagewanted=2&_r=0http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/10/world/middleeast/egypt-sentences-2012-soccer-riot.html?pagewanted=2&_r=0http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/03/09/angry-fans-torch-soccer-federation-in-egypt/?test=latestnewshttp://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/03/09/angry-fans-torch-soccer-federation-in-egypt/?test=latestnewshttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/nov/26/egyptian-protests-mohamed-morsi-decreehttp://rt.com/news/egypt-teargas-us-purchase-328/http://rt.com/news/egypt-teargas-us-purchase-328/http://rt.com/news/egypt-teargas-us-purchase-328/http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Latest-News-Wires/2013/0211/Egyptians-mark-second-anniversary-of-Mubarak-s-ouster-with-protestshttp://www.csmonitor.com/World/Latest-News-Wires/2013/0211/Egyptians-mark-second-anniversary-of-Mubarak-s-ouster-with-protestshttp://www.aljazeera.com/business/2013/03/2013312175754343677.htmlhttp://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/thomson-reuters/130310/update-1-egypts-urban-inflation-jumps-due-pounds-slidehttp://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/thomson-reuters/130310/update-1-egypts-urban-inflation-jumps-due-pounds-slidehttp://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/middle-east/egypt/130311/qatar-no-more-financial-aid-egypthttp://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/middle-east/egypt/130311/qatar-no-more-financial-aid-egypthttp://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/30/us-egypt-president-idUSBRE8AM0DO20121130http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/30/us-egypt-president-idUSBRE8AM0DO20121130http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/30/us-egypt-president-idUSBRE8AM0DO20121130http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/middle-east/egypt/130311/qatar-no-more-financial-aid-egypthttp://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/middle-east/egypt/130311/qatar-no-more-financial-aid-egypthttp://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/middle-east/egypt/130311/qatar-no-more-financial-aid-egypthttp://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/30/us-egypt-president-idUSBRE8AM0DO20121130http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/30/us-egypt-president-idUSBRE8AM0DO20121130http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/middle-east/egypt/130311/qatar-no-more-financial-aid-egypthttp://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/thomson-reuters/130310/update-1-egypts-urban-inflation-jumps-due-pounds-slidehttp://www.aljazeera.com/business/2013/03/2013312175754343677.htmlhttp://www.csmonitor.com/World/Latest-News-Wires/2013/0211/Egyptians-mark-second-anniversary-of-Mubarak-s-ouster-with-protestshttp://rt.com/news/egypt-teargas-us-purchase-328/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/nov/26/egyptian-protests-mohamed-morsi-decreehttp://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/03/09/angry-fans-torch-soccer-federation-in-egypt/?test=latestnewshttp://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/10/world/middleeast/egypt-sentences-2012-soccer-riot.html?pagewanted=2&_r=0http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/middle-east/egypt/130312/egypt-police-strike-ends-while-islamist-faction-encouhttp://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/international/13-Mar-2013/egypt-s-descent-into-lawlessness-a-bitter-own-goalhttp://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/m/mohamed_morsi/index.htmlhttp://www.csmonitor.com/World/Latest-News-Wires/2013/0211/Egyptians-mark-second-anniversary-of-Mubarak-s-ouster-with-protestshttp://www.cimicweb.org/mailto:[email protected]://www.cnn.com/2012/02/02/world/africa/egypt-soccer-deathshttps://www.cimicweb.org/


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announced that it expects to sign a deal with IMF by the end of June, expecting the first tranche of the funds to be delivered by then,

informs Reuters.

The most recent escalation of violence began on the second anniversary of the start of the uprising on25 January 2013.Reuters reported

that youth in Cairo threw rocks at the Ettihadiya palace after a peaceful march by thousands of demonstrators who accused Morsisconservative Islamic Muslim Brotherhood of hijacking Egypts revolution and monopolising power. Protesters clashed with polic e who

employed water cannons and fired teargas from within the walls of the presidential compound.

Violence erupted again the following day in the city of Port Said, which has become the epicentre for some of Egypts most intense

violence in recent months. On 26 January, a court sentenced21 people to deathfor their roles in the 2012 football riot that killed 74 fans,

according to the BBC. The verdict sparked lethal clashes between protesters and the police. In the ensuing weeks, continued unrest inPort Said has killed at leastfifty peopleand injured hundreds more, reports The Guardian.

The trial revolved around a post-game riot in Port Said stadium that erupted on 02 February 2012in which 74 people were killed the

largest death toll in Egypts football history, reports the BBC. After the Port Said-based al-Masry came from behind to win in a 3-1 upset, its

fansstormed the field, chasing Cairo-based al-Ahly off the field and attacking Ahly fans, known as theUltras Ahlawy, with knives, clubs andstones, according to NYT. The death toll mounted as victims succumbed to concussions, cuts and suffocation suffered in the ensuing

chaos. Eyewitnesses claim police stood by during the riot and did nothing, keeping the stadiums gates locked so no one was able toescape, according to CNN. Video footage corroborates eyewitness accounts. Egyptian courts indicted and tried 73 people, including 9

policemen, over the stadium riot, according toAhram Online.

All 21 defendants who received death sentences on 26 January wereal-Masry fans. The ruling immediately sparked violence in Port Said,

as supporters and relatives of those sentenced attempted to storm the prison where the defendants were being held and riots left at leastforty people dead, most of themshot by police, according to National Public Radio (NPR). President Morsi subsequently declared a30-day

state of emergencyin three cities along the Suez Canal, including Port Said, according toAl Jazeera.

More thana month of civil disobedience followed, informs The Guardian. Throughout February, Port Said was besieged by strikes, school

closures and demonstrations that included attacking and setting fire to government offices. Residents in Port Said have also documentedmultiple accounts of police firing indiscriminately at protesters. Some residents believe that those condemned in Januarys v erdict were

sacrif iced in order to appease the agitated al-Ahly fans in Cairo. According toAhram Online, Amnesty International released a statement on

11 March reproving the death sentences, stating: The trials which led to the death sentences seem to be more about scapegoating a fewrather than providing answers about what happened on the day of the game and the role the authorities may have played.

Recent Court Ruling

Violence escalated again on 03 March after the Ministry of the Interior ordered the transfer of39 prisoners from Port Said prison to otherfacilities, reports Egypt Independent. The riots resulted in the deaths of five people and 600 injured, as police fired rounds of teargas at

protesters, according to Tunis Afrique Presse. Ahead of the second verdict ,police forces withdrewfrom the streets in an effort to calm thetensions, handing control of security to the military on 08 March, following a week of clashes between police and pro testers, according to

BBC. At least seven people were killed, including civilians and security officers. Police could no longer control the city as increasing

resentment towards the police has continued to build since the revolut ion. The news of police wit hdrawal was celebrated by protesters inPort Said, some of whom reportedly stood on tanks, voicing support of the military.

On 09 March, the court announced its verdict for the remaining 52 defendants in the case, sentencing45 to prison terms, including twosenior police officers who received 15-year sentences, according to The Telegraph. Twenty-eight people were acquitted, including seven

police officers; the verdicts can be appealed. The court alsoreaffirmed the January death sentences, according to NYT. Demonstrations on09 March in Cairo resulted in two deaths, according to BBC. However, the response by Port Said was relatively tame due to theabsence of

police as targets of frustration, writes NYT. When a group of protesters moved toward soldiers, a number of civilians joined hands and

repelled the mob, chanting, The army and the people are one hand. The military had draped banners in support of residents, declaring:The Armed Forces share the peoples grief for the martyrs of Port Said. The crowds attempts to disrupt the Suez Canal were blocked by

the coast guard. While soldiers observed the groups activities, they refrained from interfering. The police off icers remaini ng in the city kepta low profile within their s tations. Lieutenant Mohamed Gamal stated local police had decided to suspend their work in solidarity, saying,

We are tired of confronting the people. Meanwhile in Cairo, it is suspected that Ultrasset fire to a police club and a soccer federation in

protest over the acquittal of the policemen in the case, according to an APwire.

Root of the Problem

The Port Said conf lict has become part of the growingpolitical instabilitywithin the Morsi government, as a focal point of anti-government

frustration. According to Foreign Policy, the continued violence in Port Said over the past two months is symbolic of the citys longstandinggrievances with and growing resentment of the central government following decades of neglect and isolation. Beyond the feelings of

marginalisation typical outside Cairo, Port Said residents feel the city has been singled out for oppression since the departure of Mubarak.Once the centre of dissent against British colonial rule, Port Said has felt excluded from mainstream Egyptian life since its special tax

status was revoked in the 1990s, according to The Guardian. Port Said was decreed a free trade zone by former President Anwar Sadat in
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1976 to givean economic boost to the city, according to Egypt Independent. However, former President Mubarak cancelled the decree in

September 1999, following allegations of an assassination attempt by a city resident.

Furthermore, the central government has failed to support the growth of the citys infrastructure an d has reneged on promises since the

1980s. In1986, Mubarak designated a cabinet committee to oversee the redevelopment of Port Said, according to Ahram Online. Whilethe committee reportedlyfailed to implementa single project, Egyptian business tycoons were given extraordinary access and support for

select tourist and housing projects for the wealthy. The deliberate indifference shown to the city and its problems, compounded by the

Mubarak regimes allocation of resources to its corrupt clientele, led to conspiracy theories in Port Said that Mubarak was punishing thecity for the assassination attempt.

Government Response: Too Late or Just in Time?

Following the 26 January protests, the presidents disregard for the impact of a month-long state of emergency and an evening curfewon daily life left Port Said residents feeling furtherdisenfranchised and marginalised, according to the Atlantic Council. In fact, signs of

discontent began to show in late 2012, when Port Said members of parliament (MPs) in the Shura Council, the upper house of parliament,

called for the governor to leave office. The MPs issued warnings of civil disobedienceand strikes in response to worsening economicconditions from port smuggling, a lack of security and neglect since the revolution.

The January verdict in the riot case and the presidents subsequent lockdown of the city gave residents further resolve in expressing their

rage to Morsi, openly defying the declared state of emergency and curfew. Many residents believe that Morsi condemned Port Said in

order toplacatethe hard-core Ultras fans, who were instrumental in opposing Mubaraks security forces in 2011. That same group hassubsequently become intricately involved in domesticpolitics and has figured prominently in several demonstrations over the past two

years. However, on 14 March, prosecutors charged 38 members of the Ultras in Nile Delta governorate for belonging toan illegal group,attempting to set fire to a provincial courthouse and insulting police officers, according to anAPwire. The arrests mark the first indications

of a possible crackdown on the impunity enjoyed by the radical club over the past few years.

In the week leading up to the second round of Port Said riot sentencing, President Morsi moved to placate Port Said residents and prevent

a further escalation of the civil disobedience movement. He endorsed the Shura Councils law reinstating Port Saids free trade zonestatus. He also assigned a judge to lead investigations into the post-verdict deaths, appropriated EGP 400 million (USD 59 million) of

revenue from the Suez Canal to support development in Port Said, as well as in nearby Suez and Ismailia, which was also the scene of

raucous protests. Furthermore, after two months of protests and over fifty deaths, President Morsi met with three families from Port Saidwho had family members killed in protests on 14 March, reports Ahram Online. In a televised statement following the meeting, Morsi

guaranteed an investigation into the violence following the announcement of the death sentences and that the rights of the victims will beupheld. Presidential sources revealed that during his meeting with the families, Morsi promise that victims who were killed during the

violence are to be given the status of 'martyrs of the revolution', thus allowing their families to receive compensation f rom the state.

Residents are now feeling increasingly disenfranchised from the 2011 revolution and the rest of the country, identifying themselves first

as Port Saidis, not as Egyptians, according to Egypt Independent. After the retreat of the citys police forces, the Egyptian military, whichfirst deployedto the city in January, are now overseeing law and order. General Ahmed Wasifof the Second Army Division, who has been

able to subdue the city and offer his support, told residents: All of these actions - sit-ins, marches, protests, they are all fine as long as

they are peaceful. What I need from you all is to get back to wor k. Now we all need to work. And to get our childrens education back ontrack.

Conclusion

The chaos of the past two years continues to exert a massive amount of pressure of the Morsi government, which is dealing wit hconcurrent political and economic crises. Morsi suffered a major setback on 06 March after a court suspended parliamentary elections

scheduled for mid-April. The court ordered the Supreme Consti tutional Court to review the new elections law prior to the elections, but did

not specify a time limit on the review process, according to Global Post. The political opposition continues to organiseanti-Morsi rallies,demanding a new unity government, amendments to the Islamist-drafted constitution and guarantees for the independence of the

judiciary, informs Agence France-Presse (AFP). Social unrest is likely to spread further among the discontented and impoverishedpopulation particularly if the government lacks the will power to address the demands of the people. Political turmoil in the country

continues to transform into violent clashes between protesters and police, while extensive disorder manifests itself in l abour and police

strikes. Dramatic changes within the country such as a coup and/or military takeover, a mere two years after the last dramati c change,would most certainly result in further chaos and civil war. Time and the ineffectiveness of Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood have done

much to restore the publics faith in the military, as more and more voices call for the military to step-in, a prospect that would have beenunthinkable a year ago, according to NYT. While no democratic transition is smooth, President Morsis apparent inability to maintain law

and order and stave off potential bankruptcy is inciting rage throughout the nation.
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cfc in brief - port said protests, 21 march 2013

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