Mediterranean Basin In-Brief: Port Said Protests

This document discusses the growing discontent and political turmoil in Egypt, and the correlated protests and civil disobedi ence in the city of Port Said, and outlines the historic animosity between the port city and the central government as well as the response by the Egyptian president. Related information is available at www.cimicweb.org. Hyperlinks to source material are highlighted in blue and underlined in the text. All maps are hyperlinked to their source locations.

The Arab world’s most populous country, Egypt, has been embroiled in political turmoil since the ousting of former President Hosni Mubarak on 11 February 2011, according to the Christian Science Monitor. Mubarak, who held power for nearly thirty years, was toppled by a popular uprising and social discontent over the pervasive abuse by state security agencies. Mubarak’s position was temporarily replaced by a council of generals that ran the country for seventeen months, until the election of President Mohamed Morsi in June 2012. The military council rule was marked by violence and accusations of mismanagement during the transitional period. Nearly two years later, the country is threatened to fall into bankruptcy and collapse due to the intensified internal political divisions and a growing financial crisis.