Online calls for anti-Sisi protests in Egypt may fall flat
Social media activists are calling for street protests Sept. 20 against Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, but expectations are low.
The Arabic hashtag #We Don't Want You has topped Egyptian Twitter's trending list in recent days. Launched by opposition activists Aug. 29 in response to President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's call for a referendum on whether he should remain in power or step down, the online anti-Sisi campaign reflects rumblings of discontent that, if left unaddressed, could evolve into an uprising against the Egyptian leader.
The military strongman, who has twice won presidential elections (in 2014 and 2018) with no real opposition, has seen his popularity decline due to repressive tactics, harsh austerity measures and a prolonged anti-terror campaign in the Sinai that has yet to bear fruit. This is a far cry from the early days of his rule when Sisi was seen by his supporters as the country's savior from Muslim Brotherhood rule and the country was swept by Sisi-mania, with his image seemingly everywhere: on posters, T-shirts, cologne, chocolates and even underwear.
That changed in April 2016 when Sisi signed a controversial maritime agreement ceding sovereignty over two strategically located Red Sea islands, Tiran and Sanafir, to Saudi Arabia, a move that sparked rare protests in Egypt (despite mass public gatherings being outlawed under a November 2013 anti-protest law).
While the government claims the islands belong to Saudi Arabia, opposition activists accuse Sisi of giving away Egyptian land to please Saudi Arabia, which backed Egypt financially after the 2013 overthrow of President Mohammed Morsi.
