En breve
Durante la revolución egipcia, antes de que el dictador Hosni Mubarak renunciara, matones a favor del régimen atacaron a los manifestantes en la plaza Tahrir montados en camellos, utilizando piedras, cuchillos y otras armas.
El 2 de febrero de 2011, en un intento desesperado para disgregar a las masas de manifestantes que ocupaban el centro de la plaza Tahrir en El Cairo, exigiendo la salida de Hosni Mubarak, un grupo de Baltajieh (matones) atacó a los manifestantes con piedras, cuchillos y bombas molotov. Otros montaban camellos, mulas y caballos y utilizaron espadas de segunda mano, palos y látigos para atacar a los manifestantes. Estalló un nuevo combate al día siguiente con el uso de municiones de guerra.
The people had answered the plight of the people.
Los informes preliminares de la comisión de investigación descubrieron que los miembros más importantes del régimen estaban detrás del baltajieh que dirigió esta batalla, lo que demuestra una vez más lo conveniente que es con frecuencia para los que están en el poder hacer que matones civiles hagan el trabajo sucio por ellos.
Aunque el objetivo del ataque era alborotar la revolución, ocurrió todo lo contrario; en cambio, generó una ola de simpatía y apoyo. Casi una docena de manifestantes asesinados y otros 2.000 heridos generaron una indignación pública que impulsó a millones de personas a salir a las calles y a unirse a la sentada en la plaza Tahrir, lo que obligó al dictador Hosni Mubarak, que llevaba décadas en el poder, a renunciar nueve días más tarde.
Teoría clave
The Battle of the Camel is one of the most infamous examples of baltajiah in action. A marginalized group was paid an insignificant amount of money to attack the protestors. The regime tried to distance itself from the thugs by claiming that they were loyalists who were supporting Mubarak’s rule. When it became evident that the regime’s hands were soaked in blood, people were provoked. There was no room left for justification. Furthermore, the thugs could not sustain their attack when they themselves had to pay the price.
Also, it became too expensive for the regime and some of its supporters from the velvet class to fund 25,000 thugs. And so, they vanished.
Táctica clave
Occupying Tahrir Square was a geographically and politically strategic move. The square is located in the geographical centre of Cairo and is a focal entry and exit point. It disrupted business-as-usual not only for local shops and vendors, but also tourism, one of Egypt’s main sources of income. Politically, having millions of people united under one demand was unprecedented for Egypt, and having them all gathered in the square showcased their numerical strength. Thus, the occupation of the square exceeded the threshold of acceptable risk for the regime. For 18 days, Tahrir Square became home to many protesters. Tents were erected, controlled points of entry were created, and revolutionary music concerts were held. What helped make this tactic sustainable was the generosity of the people living around the square, who opened their houses for protesters to wash, eat, and rest.
Principio clave
During the first week of the revolution, there was no indication that the regime was willing to heed the demands of the people. Many of us felt that the sleepless nights we were spending in Tahrir Square were a waste of time and should come to an end. But the Battle of the Camel changed our mood, as well as the mood of the entire country. The Egyptian people’s response to the battle took the regime by surprise; it was clear they were reacting to the situation rather than containing it. The only interpretation was that the regime had run out of options and was effectively in a fight-or-flight mode. Now we knew: The harder we fought, the closer Mubarak was to fleeing.
Metodología clave
The Battle of the Camel truly shifted the spectrum of allies and moved many of those who were on the fence (both inactive supporters and neutral people) to actually join the revolution. And this made all the difference. For the first week, tens of thousands of Egyptians were merely observers of the revolution. They preferred going about their daily lives without disruptions or were too comfortable behind the screen watching history. However, when protesters capitalized on the incident of the Battle of the Camel, and spoke to people’s hearts and minds by exposing and highlighting the brutality of the regime, the people who had previously been inactive and neutral suddenly felt they had something bigger to lose. Quickly, people of different classes, ideologies, and backgrounds took to the streets and joined the revolution.