Egyptian Protests Timeline
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Feb 15, 2011
Muslim Brotherhood announces plans for political party
CAIRO—The long banned Muslim Brotherhood said Tuesday it will form a political party once democracy is established in Egypt but promised not to field a candidate for president, trying to allay fears at home and abroad that it seeks power. Still, the fundamentalist movement is poised to be a significant player in the new order. Egypt's new military rulers gave a strong sign they recognize that the Brotherhood, which calls for creation of an Islamic state in the Arab world's most populous... -
Feb 12, 2011
Egypt army commits to power transfer, Israel peace
CAIRO—On Egypt's first day in nearly 30 years without Hosni Mubarak as president, its new military rulers pledged Saturday to eventually hand power to an elected civilian government and outlined its first cautious steps in a promised transition to democracy. It reassured the world that it will abide by its peace deal with Israel. The protesters who drove Mubarak out with an unprecedented 18-day popular uprising were still riding high on jubilation at their success. But they also began to... -
Feb 11, 2011
Mubarak resigns, military assumes control of country
CAIRO—Egypt exploded with joy, tears, and relief after President Hosni Mubarak resigned as president, forced out by 18 days of mass protests that culminated in huge marches Friday on his presidential palaces and state television. The military took power after protesters called for it to intervene and oust their leader of three decades. "The people ousted the regime," rang out chants from crowds of hundreds of thousands massed in Cairo's central Tahrir Square and outside Mubarak's main palace... -
Feb 10, 2011
Mubarak agrees to power transfer, refuses to step down
CAIRO—Nobel Peace laureate and leading democracy advocate Mohamed ElBaradei is predicting "Egypt will explode" after President Hosni Mubarak refused to step down and is calling on the military to intervene. "The Army must save the country now," said a Tweet from ElBaradei's Twitter account. "I call on the Egyptian army to immediately interfere to rescue Egypt. The credibility of the army is on the line." Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below. CAIRO (AP) --... -
Feb 8, 2011
Freed opposition leader Wael Ghonim appears before hundreds of thousands of protesters in Tahrir Square
CAIRO—A young Google executive who helped ignite Egypt's uprising energized a cheering crowd of hundreds of thousands Tuesday with his first appearance in their midst after being released from 12 days in secret detention. "We won't give up," he promised at one of the biggest protests yet in Cairo's Tahrir Square. Once a behind-the-scenes Internet activist, 30-year-old Wael Ghonim has emerged as an inspiring voice for a movement that has taken pride in being a leaderless "people's revolution."... -
Feb 6, 2011
Egyptian VP meets with Muslim Brotherhood and other opposition groups, offers sweeping concessions
CAIRO—Egypt's vice president met with the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood and other opposition groups for the first time Sunday and offered sweeping concessions, including granting press freedom and rolling back police powers in the government's latest attempt to try to end nearly two weeks of upheaval. But the opposition leaders held firm to a demand the government rejects: that President Hosni Mubarak step down immediately. And the source of the opposition's sudden power -- the youthful... -
Feb 4, 2011
Obama publicly urges Mubarak to make "the right decision"
WASHINGTON—Embracing an Egyptian future without Hosni Mubarak, President Barack Obama on Friday pressed the embattled leader to consider his legacy and exit office in a way that would give his country the best chance for peace and democracy. Obama tried to rally world pressure on Mubarak to make "the right decision" but did not call for his immediate resignation. "I believe that President Mubarak cares about his country. He is proud, but he's also a patriot," Obama said as Cairo remained a... -
Feb 3, 2011
Protests become increasingly violent, including attacks on reporters and human rights activists
CAIRO—Menacing gangs backing President Hosni Mubarak attacked journalists and human rights activists Thursday in an ugly turn in Egypt's crisis as government opponents pushed supporters out of Cairo's main square in a second day of battles. Organizers called for protesters trying to topple the regime to fill every square in the huge capital on Friday. The new vice president, widely considered the first successor Mubarak has ever designated, fueled anti-foreign sentiment by going on state... -
Feb 1, 2011
President Hosni Mubarak vows not to seek another term
CAIRO—President Hosni Mubarak defied a quarter-million protesters demanding he step down immediately, announcing Tuesday he would serve out the last months of his term and "die on Egyptian soil." He promised not to seek re-election, but that did not calm public fury as clashes erupted between his opponents and supporters. The protesters, whose numbers multiplied more than tenfold in a single day Tuesday for their biggest rally yet, have insisted they will not end their unprecedented week-old... -
Jan 28, 2011
Egyptian government cuts off internet and cell phone service
NEW YORK—In its effort to silence protesters, Egypt took a step that's rare even among authoritarian governments: It cut off the Internet across the entire country. The nation's four main Internet providers all went dark, and cell phone service was suspended in some areas. But the drastic move did not stop demonstrators Friday, and it could backfire by fueling anger and chaos in the streets of Cairo and beyond. Until now, Egyptians have had nearly open access to the Web. "This is night... -
Jan 27, 2011
Egyptian Nobel Laureate Mohamed ElBaradei returns home to assume opposition leadership role
CAIRO—Egypt's most prominent democracy advocate took up a bullhorn Sunday and called for President Hosni Mubarak to resign, speaking to thousands of protesters who defied a curfew for a third night. Fighter jets streaked low overhead and police returned to the capital's streets -- high-profile displays of authority over a situation spiraling out of control. Nobel Peace laureate Mohamed ElBaradei's appearance in Tahrir, or Liberation, Square underscored the jockeying for leadership of the mass... -
Jan 26, 2011
Egyptian stock market drops sharply amid popular uprising
CAIRO—Egypt's benchmark index recorded its biggest drop in over two years Thursday, plummeting more than 10 percent as anti-government protests rattled investor confidence and left Hosni Mubarak's regime facing its most serious challenge in years. The EGX30 index closed down 10.5 percent to 5,646.50 points, capping a two day slide that brought its year-to-date losses to almost 21 percent. The market had tumbled 6.25 percent just 15 minutes into the session before trading was temporarily... -
Jan 25, 2011
"Day of Rage" large-scale protest erupts in Egypt
CAIRO—Egyptian police fired tear gas and rubber bullets and beat protesters to clear thousands of people from a central Cairo square Wednesday after the biggest demonstrations in years against President Hosni Mubarak's authoritarian rule. Two protesters and a police officer were killed in the nationwide demonstrations inspired by Tunisia's uprising, which also demanded a solution to Egypt's grinding poverty and were likely to fuel growing dissent in a presidential election year. Mobilized... -
Jan 14, 2011
Tunisian government ousted
TUNIS, Tunisia—After 23 years of iron-fisted rule, the president of Tunisia was driven from power Friday by violent protests over soaring unemployment and corruption. Virtually unprecedented in modern Arab history, the populist uprising sent an ominous message to authoritarian governments that dominate the region. The office of Saudi King Abdullah confirmed early Saturday that ousted President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and his family had landed in Saudi Arabia, after several hours of mystery... -
Dec 17, 2010
Mohamed Bouazizi sets himself on fire, triggering mass anti-government protests across Tunisia
TUNIS, Tunisia—It started with a young man who set himself on fire, acting out of desperation after police confiscated the fruits and vegetables he sold without a permit. Mohamed Bouazizi was a 26-year-old university graduate without a steady job, trying to support his family. His self-immolation -- which left him in intensive care, wrapped head to toe in white bandages -- shocked the North African nation and sparked protests over unemployment that have led to at least three deaths. For...