Issue and Opponent: By 2000, President Hosni Mubarak had ruled Egypt for 19 years with no intention to cede power. For decades, Egypt had notoriously been an undemocratic state. Mubarak continued his rule without fair elections. Knowing he needed to keep the people’s favor, Mubarak began to allow public street demonstrations in 2000, when students, activists, and nationalists demonstrated in the universities and schools across Egypt in solidarity with Palestinians (during the Israeli-Palestinian conflict). After being able to demonstrate with little resistance from the government, the activists wanted to see how far the government would allow them to take this. They soon began to include anti-regime rhetoric in their protests. At this time, they did not explicitly protest against President Mubarak. In the Arabic world, kefaya means “enough.” In the early 2000s, during this time of demonstration and protest, the Kefaya Revolution had not begun. However, this push for negotiation with the government in 2000 became the catalyst for the five separate Kefaya movements to come together.
Dilemma Action: On December 12, 2004, Kefaya organized its first official action against Mubarak and his regime. 300 Kefaya members gathered in front of the High Court Building in downtown Cairo. They placed tape on their mouths and wrote the word ‘Kefaya’ across it. They held banners reading: “Kefaya: No Extension of Mubarak’s Fourth Term in Office, No to Mubarak’s Succession by His Son.” This protest was one of the first outspoken political messages against Mubarak. It gained immediate public support and attention from the media. This action represented that Egyptians would no longer be silenced by Mubarak’s corruption.
Outcomes: This action attracted broad public support and international media attention, and kick-started the Kefaya campaign to oust President Hosni Mubarak. It was successful because it changed the narrative, reduced fear, and encouraged public support. This also led activists to think strategically about their tactics and the locations of their protests to attract the most attention. However, Mubarak was reelected to his fifth term on September 27, 2005. Kefaya’s voice and influence declined after the reelection. This protest was part of a larger campaign calling for democracy and reform in Egypt and the resignation of President Mubarak.