In breve
Un violento attacco ai manifestanti in piazza Tahrir da parte di teppisti pro-regime, a cavallo di cammelli, è stato un punto di svolta nella rivoluzione egiziana, generando un sostegno popolare per i manifestanti e portando alla caduta di Mubarak.
Il 2 febbraio 2011, nel disperato tentativo di sgominare le masse di manifestanti che occupavano piazza Tahrir al centro del Cairo, migliaia di baltajiah hanno attaccato i manifestanti usando pietre, coltelli e bottiglie molotov. Molti cavalcavano cammelli, muli e cavalli e usavano spade, bastoni e fruste per attaccare i manifestanti. Nuovi combattimenti sono scoppiati di nuovo il giorno successivo con munizioni vere e proiettili di gomma.
Teoria chiave
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.
Tattica chiave
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 chiave
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.
Metodologia chiave
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.