Commentary
The recent record of citizen uprisings in autocracies spells caution for the hope that a new wave of Iranian protests may break the regime’s hold on power.
Thomas Carothers, McKenzie Carrier
{
"authors": [
"The Working Group On Egypt"
],
"type": "other",
"centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
"centers": [
"Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
],
"collections": [
"Arab Awakening"
],
"englishNewsletterAll": "menaTransitions",
"nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
"primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
"programAffiliation": "MEP",
"programs": [
"Middle East"
],
"projects": [],
"regions": [
"North Africa",
"Egypt"
],
"topics": [
"Political Reform",
"Democracy"
]
}
Source: Getty
Other
Statement by the Working Group on Egypt
A call on U.S. government officials to restate clearly the United States’ support for peaceful protests in Egypt.
By The Working Group On Egypt
Published on Sep 25, 2019
September 25, 2019
As members of the Working Group on Egypt (a bipartisan group of foreign affairs experts formed in 2010), we call on U.S. government officials to restate clearly the United States’ support for peaceful protests in Egypt. Authorities there have arrested more than 1,400 people after peaceful anti-corruption protests broke out in 14 Egyptian provinces on September 20 and 21.
More protests are possible in the coming days and weeks. In Egypt, President Trump’s statements after meeting with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on September 23 are being interpreted as giving Sisi a green light to use force against demonstrators and to engage in a broader crackdown.
We ask U.S. officials in the executive and legislative branches to make clear that the United States continues to stand for the following principles regarding demonstrations in Egypt, just as it has done recently regarding protests in Russia, Hong Kong, Iran, and Sudan:
- Egyptians have the right to protest peacefully, and to exercise that right without fear of state violence or other retribution.
- The military and police should show restraint, avoid conflict, and remain committed to the protection of the people.
- All detained peaceful protesters, journalists, lawyers, and human rights defenders should be released immediately and any charges against them dropped.
Robert Kagan (co-chair)
Michele Dunne (co-chair)
Reuel Gerecht
Amy Hawthorne
Neil Hicks
Thomas Hill
Sarah Margon
Stephen McInerney
Andrew Miller
Tamara Wittes
Ken Wollack
About the Author
The Working Group On Egypt
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
More Work from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
- When Do Mass Protests Topple Autocrats?
- The EU Needs a Third Way in IranCommentary
European reactions to the war in Iran have lost sight of wider political dynamics. The EU must position itself for the next phase of the crisis without giving up on its principles.
Richard Youngs
- The Architecture of Digital RepressionArticle
Internet service providers can facilitate internet access but also draconian control.
Irene Poetranto
- The Kremlin Is Destroying Its Own System of Coerced VotingCommentary
The use of technology to mobilize Russians to vote—a system tied to the relative material well-being of the electorate, its high dependence on the state, and a far-reaching system of digital control—is breaking down.
Andrey Pertsev
- Indian Americans Still Lean Left. Just Not as Reliably.Commentary
New data from the 2026 Indian American Attitudes Survey show that Democratic support has not fully rebounded from 2020.
- +1
Sumitra Badrinathan, Devesh Kapur, Andy Robaina, …
