Archaeology of de-democratization: Mobilizing the Pharaonic Past in post-2013 counterrevolutionary Egypt

Abstract

In December 2010, the spark for Tunisia’s demonstrations was ignited when Bouazizi set himself on fire in protest against injustice and oppression. Bouazizi, a street vendor, was constantly harassed by the police and state authorities, who frequently confiscated his goods and disrupted his livelihood. After the state seized his merchandise, Bouazizi set himself on fire in front of a governmental headquarters, an act that sparked the Tunisian revolution and the Arab Spring uprisings.1 Within approximately four weeks, as the flames of the Tunisian revolution subsided following the escape of its dictator, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, another spark—like Bouazizi—ignited to signal the start of the Egyptian revolution: Khaled Said2 . 3 A young man in his twenties, Said was brutally tortured to death by Alexandria police officers without any clear charge against him. He was merely a victim of a corrupt, oppressive, and brutal police system. To absolve themselves of any role for Said’s killing, the police fabricated a charge, accusing him of possessing drugs. Images of Khaled Said’s tortured body spread online like wildfire, leading to intensified calls for protests on January 25, the official Police Day holiday, to denounce the police brutality, expose their violence, and prevent future victims like Khaled Said. As expected, the police violently suppressed the demonstrations. This violence only fueled the protesters’ determination to stand against the regime and insist on their demands for a dignified life free of state terror, oppression, and injustice. However, these demands don’t seem to be materialized if we look at today’s Egyptian socio-political-economic situation...