Egypt's disenfranchised youth still hope for change

When Egypt's June 2013 coup effectively suspended the country's democratic project, young activists formed an organisation to free their comrades who had been jailed under new harsh protest laws.

The April 6 Youth Movement and We Have Had Enough are two groups working for a free, pluralistic, and democratic Egypt.

Rumble on the streets

The activists believe they can achieve change by confronting the regime, educating young people, and ultimately bringing those in power to account for their part in corruption and killings.

Their message is beginning to find resonance with a growing number of Egyptians tired of the country's mounting problems and economic failure:

We have had enough of arbitrary arrests. We have had enough of the suppression of our rights. We have had enough of inequality.

Zizo Abdu is an activist in the April 6 Youth Movement and the spokesperson of the We Have Had Enough campaign. He aims to keep Egypt's powerful and wealthy in check.

"In my opinion, the revolution is facing its worst phase because of increased repression, a lack of dignity, sanctioned killings and a large number of men and women jailed," Abdu says.

Four years ago, Egyptians overthrew the brutal dictatorship of Hosni Mubarak.

The young activists who were central to this set a goal of ensuring the country finally established a true democratic system and distribute Egypt's wealth.

In the weeks following the revolution, it looked as though the activists who had mobilised millions of Egyptians onto the street might achieve their dream.

"During the 18 days of the revolution everyone was united against the regime and the power was consolidated in the millions of Egyptians who gathered," Abdu says.

State repression

Following the divisive policies set by Egypt's first democratically elected president, Mohamed Morsi, an ensemble of forces tried to win dominance in the country.

"After the revolution, the different political parties began imposing themselves on the scene and they began polarising the masses," says Abdu.

"This party wants it to be an Islamist revolution, and the other wants it to be a leftist revolution and another wants it as a liberal revolution, which caused people to be divided among the political parties."

Using mass unrest as a pretext, the military overthrew the president and his Muslim Brotherhood government in June 2013.

Despite initial optimism among some Egyptians that rifts in the country would be healed, it soon became clear the revolutionary gains would be reversed. 

Civilian government was replaced by an authoritarian regime every bit as brutal as the one under Mubarak.

According to Human Rights Watch, at least 1,300 protesters were killed by security forces in Egypt in the months after the coup.

Hundreds of Brotherhood members have also been arrested and given death sentences, while other opponents of the regime were imprisoned or forced underground.

The authorities are using all oppressive state apparatus... against all Egyptian youth dreaming of freedom. - Zizo Abdu

Jailed activists

Those jailed were key figures in the 2011 revolution, including blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah, and activists Mona Seif and Ahmed Maher.

"Unfortunately, the authorities are using all oppressive state apparatus and institutions, such as the judiciary, the prosecution, and the police, against all Egyptian youth dreaming of freedom," Abdu says.

The plan of the activists now is to raise political awareness among young Egyptians, and train them to "represent" the revolution.

One day, Abdu hopes, they will hold the government accountable for gross human rights abuses and corruption - yet he is keen to avoid sending protesters into situations that will result in senseless slaughter.

This, he says, is testament to his compassion and love of Egypt, and the regime's embrace of death and hate.

While Mubarak and his sons are found "not guilty" of alleged abuses during office, it is obvious to Abdu that the crimes committed by those in power cannot be ignored if Egypt is to move forward.

Blueprint for change

For this to be achieved there are significant challenges.

"There were regime agents who were actively working to exhaust the revolution and to stop it in its infancy," he says.

"Egyptians have discovered that there is a huge media apparatus run by the current regime, which has become apparent through various [government] leaks," the activist said.

A number of Sisi's leaked conversations that have been leaked reveal underhand measures by the government. Most Egyptian media called the leaks "lies", or ignored the tapes.

Abdu believes this is proof that the regime is controlling the media to limit people's awareness about the state of affairs in Egypt.

Despite the odds being stacked against the activists, Abdu remains confident that change will be achieved.

"I believe that there is hope, but there is no revolution that has a timetable, there is no revolution that ends within a month or two.

"It is an accumulative battle in which we work on raising awareness and exposing the institutions that run the country in this brazen way," he says.

"No matter how long oppression lasts, there will come a time when it is stopped and people's dreams will come true."

This article is based on an interview with Zizo Abdu.