The Revolution Will Be Twitter-ized1

by Damon Martin

In the wake of the uprising in Egypt over the last week, the power of the internet and social networking sites has truly reached its full potential as important and necessary tools for a new kind of revolution.

Seeking to overthrow President Hosni Mubarak, who has ruled the Arab Republic in tyrannical fashion for the last 30 years, protesters took to the streets in Egypt. Self organized using common threads (such as the hash-tag #Jan25) on Twitter and groups on Facebook, this is as much a social media revolution as it is a physical one.

With protestors continuing to flood the streets in Egypt, President Mubarak’s plan of attack went from accosting those involved to shutting down the forms of communication they were relying upon. In an unprecedented move for such a seemingly open and Westernized nation, the Egyptian government essentially switched off the internet, and much of the country’s telecommunications networks.

The movement hasn’t been stifled however. Aided by those in the international tech community, limited internet service has been restored in some areas, and websites such as Google have set up phone lines where people can call and leave voicemails that will automatically be tagged and placed on a common Twitter thread. Fax machines are also being used to transmit messages that are appearing on Twitter and on Facebook to help protesters organize, regroup and gain support from around the world for the Egyptian revolution.

Mubarak tried to quiet the charge by announcing that he wouldn’t seek relection, and by putting longtime confidant Omar Suleiman in place as Vice President and a possible successor to his rule. However, since Suleiman has stood alongside Mubarak for more than two decades, these hollow moves are doing little to sate those who have taken to the streets. Undermining his credibility further as a plausible replacement is the knowledge that Suleiman served as a rendition ally to the United States, allowing terror suspects to be tortured under his watchful eye.

And in a move that will likely embarrass both the Egyptian and United Staes governments, Wikileaks has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. The site turned up the heat on Mubarak when it released cables that highlighted the corruption and misdeeds of his administration. Wikileaks’ deluge of no-longer secret communiques also appear to show the U.S. governments complicit and premeditated support of Suleiman as a successor – which serves as further proof of the emptiness of Mubarak’s “concessions.”

Yesterday Egyptians flooded the capital for what was intended to be a peaceful “Million Man March” to show strength in insurmountable numbers and that change wasn’t optional but an inevitability. Sadly the demonstration turned violent. As protesters lined the streets and marched towards Tahrir Square, pro-Mubarak supporters caused disruptions, with some of them riding horses and camels while brandishing whips. Heavy gunfire and molotov cocktails were launched back and forth as the protest seemingly degenerated into a pitched battle.

Many believe that those causing much of the violence during Wednesday’s protest were actually paid agents of the Mubarak government, who were sent in to cause disruption so the reigning government had cause to use force to quell the oposition. Several American journalists including CNN’s Anderson Cooper were attacked while reporting on the events in Tahrir Square, with pro-Mubarak supporters punching and assaulting members of several news organizations.

As of early Thursday morning, Egyptian officials announced over 800 people had been taken to hospital for treatment of injuries resulting from the violence. They also report that five are dead (though the actual number is likely to be higher). Protests are expected to continue, and, given the numbers involved, are unlikely to be quelled until Mubarak acquiesces.

In the 20 minutes or so since I began writing this article, more than 1,000 messages have appeared on Twitter with the #Jan25 hash tag. It seems social media has finally graduated from vapid updates to a tool for meaningful social revolution and change.