Egyptian Activists Defend Use of Force Against an Unreformed Police Force

A video commentary from activists in Cairo explains and defends ongoing clashes with the police.

In their latest video, “Why Riot” the activists of Cairo’s Mosireen film collective argue that violent resistance to an unreformed police force is not only justified, but necessary. They write, by way of introduction to the film: “Two years after the start of the January 25 revolution we still riot because the ruling elite still exploit us, because the police still torture, maim and kill us and none of them are brought to justice.”

As The Lede reported in 2011, one well-known Egyptian activist and blogger, Alaa Abd El Fattah, said in the aftermath of the revolution that the most important technology deployed in defense of the Tahrir Square sit-in that year was “rocks â€" rocks and clubs.”

In a series of Twitter updates that summer, as protesters in Spain were beaten by the police and clashes continued in Egypt, Mr. Fattah argued that a willingness to fight back against the abusive police force that drove Egyptians to revolt in the first place was an essential component of the protest movement.

yo spain egyptian people want to share a secret with u, peaceful revolt is for tv, real revolutionaries beat the hell out of police

â€" Alaa Abd El Fattah (@alaa) 27 May 11

so while this is by no means a non violent revolt, it is a peaceloving one, we won’t shy away from violence but we’ll never start it #Jun28

â€" Alaa Abd El Fattah (@alaa) 29 Jun 11