2008 Egyptian general strike

The 2008 Egyptian general strike was a

Lead-up

Using

All national forces in Egypt have agreed upon the 6th of April to be a public strike. On the 6th of April, stay home, do not go out; Don’t go to work, don’t go to the university, don’t go to school, don’t open your shop, don’t open your pharmacy, don’t go to the police station, don’t go to the camp; We need salaries allowing us to live, we need to work, we want our children to get education, we need human transportation means, we want hospitals to get treatment, we want medicines for our children, we need just judiciary, we want security, we want freedom and dignity, we want apartments for youth; We don’t want price increases, we don’t want favouritism, we don’t want police in plain clothes, we don’t want torture in police stations, we don’t want corruption, we don’t want bribes, we don’t want detentions. Tell your friends not to go to work and ask them to join the strike.[4]

April 6: day of the strike

The strike at Mahalla was to have begun at 7 a.m. but plainclothes security personnel and police infiltrated the factory and allegedly intimidated workers from striking.

Official media channels controlled by the Egyptian government discouraged citizens from participating in the strike, and law enforcement officials warned that protesters could be punished with three months to one year in jail.^[citation needed] Thousands of police lined the streets in downtown Cairo near the universities and in Mahalla in attempt to intimidate people and prevent them from participating.^[13] There were no protests in Cairo's Tahrir Square (most likely due to strong police presence; at least some protesters were chased from the square by police),^[6][14] though students at Ain Shams, Helwan and Cairo universities held demonstrations.^{[citation needed]} Many people did stay home in solidarity with the protesters and out of fear of possible violence, with the streets of Cairo noticeably quiet and more stores than usual shuttered for the day.^[14]

References