Today was a critical point in Sisi’s Egypt.
Anti-government protests were broken up with tear gas and demonstrators chased through the streets, while pro-Sisi demonstrations – reported by some outlets to have been staged – went ahead unhindered.
President Sisi responded to mass calls for protest with a warning – against what he said were attempts to destabilise the state. For the last month, unhappiness with his regime has been increasing in Egypt, with protests against the transfer of two islands to Saudi Arabia escalating to target the whole government and especially its increasingly repressive behaviour.
On Twitter, Egyptians rallied behind the protests, criticising the regime and supporting those demonstrating against it.
بأذن الله حيكون بداية النهايه لحكم السيسي
— صوتي ثورة (@asmaa_abazid) 25 April 2016
بس كل ده متوقف علي مشاركة كل حر وحره في مظاهرات اليوم
انزل علشان توقف الدم#يلا_يا_سيسي_لم_هدومك
Hopefully this will be the end of Sisi’s tenure. All you free men and women should protest. Protest to stop the killing.
Some made calls for further revolution, just as in the Arab Spring of 2011.
#يلا_يا_سيسي_لم_هدومك
— Ibrahim Magdy (@Ibrahim09729659) 25 April 2016
من تاني اكيد راجعين
ياااارب pic.twitter.com/lnXPjszHZb
We are coming back to the square again.
عايز يقطع النت ..
— Mohammed Adel (@Midomanmoshy) 24 April 2016
و يقطع التليفونات ..
و يقفل المترو ..
يا اهبل ماهو مبارك عمل كل دة و اكتر و غار ف ستين داهية بردو !#يلا_يا_سيسي_لم_هدومك
Sisi is planning to disconnect the internet and phone calls, also stop the Metro service. You stupid Mubarak did the same and he was released from service.
Solidarity protests took place elsewhere around the world too.
وقفة أمام القنصلية المصرية بـ"نيويورك" عشية 25 أبريل#يلا_يا_سيسي_لم_هدومك
— Mervat_Abdelglel (@mer_vat25) 24 April 2016
احنا خلاص مش عايزينك#انزل_ميدانك_مستنيك pic.twitter.com/iKk4yHWPWt
A demonstration against the Egyptian Embassy in New York against al Sisi.
Other tweets, however, expressed support for Sisi.
عشان البلد اللى لسه بتحاول تقوم متقعش تانى #مع_السيسى_يوم٢٥
— heshamserry (@heshamserry) 24 April 2016
Egypt is trying to stand up on its legs, we will not allow them to make it fail again.
واثق ان السيسي زيه زي اي راجل عسكري مصري يستحيل انه يفرط في ذرة رمل من ارض بلادي #مع_السيسي_يوم٢٥
— ツ رجل القوس (@maganenoo) 24 April 2016
I am confident that Al Sisi is just like any Egyptian soldier and will not sell an inch of the Egyptian land.
Reports indicate that around 100 lawyers and activists were rounded up in the weekend preceding the protests, as the government attempted to quash the dissent that has been rising in recent weeks.
