For decades, Egypt has witnessed a series of peaceful protests that represent the voice of the Egyptian people on various social and political issues. These protests are considered an integral part of Egypt’s modern history, as they represent an ongoing struggle to improve conditions, whether political conditions, labor issues, or otherwise. Nevertheless, peaceful protests in Egypt cannot be discussed without referring to the January 25, 2011, revolution, which overthrew the regime of former President Hosni Mubarak. The design of Tahrir Square played an essential role in the success of peaceful gatherings and the protesters’ control over the entrances and exits of the square at that time. Other squares have also played the same role in various Egyptian governorates. Hence, it can be argued that there is a close relationship between the shaping of urban space and the success or failure of peaceful protests and gatherings.
The Influence of Political Factors on Urbanization and the Emergence of Cities
The impact of political factors on urbanization and the formation of its movement has appeared since ancient times in conjunction with other factors. This was evident in the establishment of Islamic cities in the past, which served as fortresses for the caliph and his soldiers, and in the fortification of castles, which made it difficult for the ruler to be reached. During the era of Muhammad Ali and his family, Egyptian urbanization was shaped according to the vision and ambitions of the Khedive. Many cities and villages were re-planned according to the mechanisms of security control in the pasha system. The socialist era also had a great impact on the shape and identity of Egyptian urbanization. Since the 1970s, the shift to openness and the expansion of urbanization have been formed according to the new political ideology.
Social protests play an important role in shaping and directing the movement of Egyptian urbanization, similar to the role that protests played in the past in shaping the urbanization of Paris. The city of Paris underwent significant changes during the French Revolution of 1789, when the old city, characterized by its narrow streets, provided shelter for protesters and made it difficult for security forces to pursue them, ultimately leading to its demolition. Napoleon III ordered the demolition of the old city and the planning of a new city with wide streets to make it easier to eliminate any protests.
Stifling Urbanization to Stifle What’s Inside
Measuring the factor of peaceful protests and demonstrations, urbanization is influential. After 2014, Egypt witnessed a major shift in the political and security environment. The Egyptian authorities took strong measures to counter peaceful protests, curtailing freedom of expression and undermining democracy. After the fall of Mohamed Morsi’s government in 2013 and the military-backed government of Adly Mansour, followed by the presidency of Defense Minister Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in 2014, Egypt experienced significant legal and policy shifts to freedom of expression and to prevent a repeat of the January Revolution, which Sisi frequently emphasized in most of his speeches. These restrictions have been based on several axes, including the imposition of security forces, the enactment of new laws, and the control and stifling of urbanization, all of which have played a significant role in this suppression.
Downtown Barricades and the Gates of the New Administrative Capital
Egyptian street protests have a long history of taking place in front of key government buildings, such as cabinet headquarters, ministry headquarters, governorates, legislative councils, and union headquarters. In addition, public squares have played a vital role in enabling these protests. A prime example of this is the public space surrounding the Federal Palace, the presidential residence, which hosted several protests and sit-ins from all sides, both opposition and pro-government. However, after 2014, the Egyptian government sought to avoid the repetition of these protests in the exact vital locations.
Fear of repeated protests in key areas prompted the government to take measures aimed at controlling the urban and political environment. These measures demonstrated a shift in dealing with public spaces to avoid any future impact from protest movements. The measures began with the issuance of the Protest Law, which led to the arrest of a large number of activists for violating it, as well as the elimination of any manifestations of gatherings in front of government buildings. Warnings were issued to protesters not to gather in front of public facilities. The Cairo Court of Urgent Matters also ruled against demonstrations in front of the Council of Ministers and its surroundings. These restrictions were accompanied by architectural changes aimed at stifling the public sphere, altering the shape of the public space in downtown Cairo.
Just as shopkeepers and café owners carve out a portion of public space to display their products, the Egyptian government has carved out large swaths of street space for its agencies, placing concrete barricades in front of ministry and embassy headquarters. In 2011, the Egyptian army erected a large steel wall on Mohamed Mahmoud Street to prevent protesters from reaching the Interior Ministry. This securitization and fortification completely ignored the changing of Cairo’s visual identity in favor of controlling peaceful protests and preventing any demonstrations.
The Administrative Capital is one of the most important urban projects currently underway in Egypt and is part of the Cairo 2050 plan. While it may not be accurate to say that the new administrative capital was built primarily as a military fortress for the Egyptian president and his government, it is undoubtedly a class-based investment project that establishes a “pharaoh” surrounded by huge buildings. What can be expected, however, is that if protests are allowed there, it will be difficult for protestors to get out. The relocation of ministries and government agencies to a place fortified by high walls and enormous gates strengthens security control, making it easier to trap protesters and swiftly eliminate any gatherings.
Controlling Public Squares
The Egyptian government has realized that controlling public squares is crucial to preventing the recurrence of revolutionary gatherings that haunt the head of state. Tahrir Square holds deep symbolic significance in the consciousness of the Egyptian people, with its name being associated with the political transformations the country has witnessed. However, this symbolism has changed over time, starting with the increased security presence in the square, which is now surrounded by strict security measures. Additionally, the changes in the square’s design and infrastructure indicate the authorities’ attempt to redefine this symbolism.
Researcher Omnia Khalil says that there is a militarization of public spaces. Tahrir Square, which witnessed huge gatherings of regime opponents at various times, is now almost deserted except for passing cars. With the construction of the Martyrs’ Monument in the center of the square, which was destroyed by opposition groups protesting against the authority, the presence of security forces has become permanent around the clock. A number of people have been arrested for simply trying to take photographs of the square or attempting to demonstrate for various reasons. The governorate renovated the square, adding a huge metal pole with the Egyptian flag, which was seen by some as a national symbol, while others saw it as a kind of military occupation of the square. The opening of the Tahrir Garage and the banning of parking in the square and neighboring streets led to drastic changes in the pattern of activities in those streets, affecting the feeling of passersby and residents, and making the city center feel strange place for its residents and regulars.
In the city of Mahalla al-Kubra, al-Shoun Square, which witnessed the initial spark of the Egyptian revolution that began with the strike of Mahalla workers on April 6, 2008, was completely eliminated. The square was first occupied with construction work for an unidentified monument that has not been completed to this day. Then the place was surrounded from above by the construction of two intersecting bridges to make it easier for security forces to climb over the bridges to break up any demonstrations. The same thing happened in Nasr City. In Nasr City, Cairo, the most significant example is Rabaa al-Adawiya Square, where the Muslim Brotherhood and their supporters held a sit-in following the army’s announcement in July 2013 to remove Mohamed Morsi. Security forces found it very difficult to penetrate the sit-in until it was forcibly dispersed in August of the same year. Security control over the square was achieved by building an overhead bridge in the middle, facilitating the movement of police forces and controlling any attempt to be present inside the square.
Restructuring the Population Map and Developing Informal Areas
For nearly a decade, the Egyptian government has focused on upgrading informal settlements and relocating residents of deteriorating areas to alternative residential zones. However, it is also evident that the design of these new residential areas considers security factors by adopting a strip planning method. This method ensures open sight lines and wide main streets to facilitate motorized traffic and the easy movement of security forces’ vehicles. This approach is evident in the planning of the Asmarat neighborhood, the largest project announced by the Egyptian government to relocate slum dwellers. The neighborhood lacks public spaces conducive to gatherings and pedestrian walkways, leaving individuals with nowhere to be in the street.
According to the writers Ahmed Abdel Halim and Abdel Rahman Adel, residents of informal settlements have often been a source of anxiety for the Egyptian regime. These areas, characterized by varying levels of poverty, have a history of angry protests, such as during the January revolution, when Maspero Triangle stood with Tahrir Square protestors. Residents of these neighborhoods have also shown a knack for resisting police repression policies aimed at quashing the protest movement.
The authority has sought to dismantle this potential threat by relocating residents to new communities, often in distant locations and inconvenient times, making it challenging for them to adapt, especially due to financial constraints in commuting between their new homes and workplaces. Additionally, this relocation disrupts the social ties and networks they have developed over decades. While this organization assists them in navigating the challenges of social and political life, its influence diminishes in their new neighborhoods, where they are surrounded by a security and surveillance system capable of identifying and arresting suspects.
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Conclusion
The Egyptian government has fully recognized the role that Egypt’s urban landscape, particularly the Khedive Cairo area, has played in enabling citizens to take control of public spaces and disrupt government institutions during protests and sit-ins. To counteract these protests and prevent their impact on the city’s movement, the Egyptian government spared no effort. Deliberately altering the shape of the city, the government transformed it into a structure reminiscent of military barracks, characterized by concrete block houses and streets designed as barriers to traffic, providing clear visibility for the soldiers stationed there. Subsequently, “upper-class” urban areas emerged, and high-ranking officials were relocated to the new administrative capital located outside Cairo, encircled by walls, effectively separating it from the lives of ordinary residents.
These urban changes reflect the government’s strategies aimed at suppressing peaceful gatherings by reshaping the urban landscape. Public spaces are designed to minimize the likelihood of assembly and sit-ins, thereby facilitating the control of protest movements by security forces. Consequently, the Egyptian government has thus far succeeded in reducing the impact of peaceful protests by stifling urban spaces and the activities occurring, at least for now.
