SOCIAL MEDIA AND UPRISINGS

ARAB SPRING

Arab Spring refers to the democratic uprisings that arose independently and spread across the Arab world in 2011. The movement originated in Tunisia in December 2010 and quickly took hold in Egypt, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan.

Arab Spring was a unique revolution where the revolutionaries utilized social media to inform the mass and promote revolutionary agenda. Thus, for the first time in the history of the twentieth and early twenty first centuries, social media was used to coordinate a revolution and gain people support.

Social media and YouTube were used to send real-time footage of conflicts that were taking place. Amateur clips of innocent civilians being gunned down by troops, and rebels seeking justice, forwarded to cell phones, emails and posted on Facebook reached the world audiences thus exposing the ruling regime as oppressive and inhuman. While the ruler could control traditional media, the rebels used social media, thus portraying the regime in negative light. Rapid dissemination of news through widespread messaging affected public opinion and thus gained international support.

To read more about the Arab Spring click here

TAHRIR SQUARE

Tahrir Square popularly known as ‘Martyr Square’ is a major public town square in Downtown Cairo Egypt. The high levels of protest led to the resignation of President Mubarak in 2011.

The Egyptian Revolution of 2011 also known as the January 25 Revolution began on 25^th January 2011. There were demonstrations, riots, nonviolent civilian resistance, strikes etc. millions of protesters from all walks of life demanded the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak. This was because of various legal and political issues, like lack of free elections, control on freedom of speech, corruption, high rate of inflation, rise in unemployment and no increase in existing salaries. There was high level of production and dissemination of multimedia content in Egypt making it difficult to control information about protests. Protests began in Cairo and spread throughout the country.

Egypt’s Central Security Forces Police (loyal to Mubarak) were replaced by military troops. On 11 February 2011 Vice President Omar Suleiman announced that Mubarak would resign as president. On 24^th May Mubarak was ordered to stand trial on charges of premeditated murder of peaceful protesters. On 2^nd June 2012, Mubarak was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment, but the sentence was overturned on appeal and retrial ordered. Finally on 24^th June the State Election Commission stated that Islamist Mohamed Morsi had won the elections and he was appointed as president. On 3^rd July 2013, Morsi was deposed by a coup d’état led by General Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on account of opposition protests on 30^th June.

  

THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA (IN THESE UPRISINGS)

 For the first time in the history of the world social media played a vital role in bringing together masses to fight a revolution and in some cases overthrow the ruler. Social media affected public opinion and thus gained international support.

Social media gave individuals the power to not only disseminate information and news across the globe but also helped them gain the support of the masses and united the masses to fight for change. This was never seen or imagined previously.

Amateur video clips shot on cell phones and forwarded via social media like facebook, twitter, you tube, blackberry messenger, blogs etc. caused worldwide stir. Some rulers even tried to ban social media in their territories in order to curb the revolution. Internet services were disrupted for five days in Cairo to stymie the protesters. This was also considered a breech on freedom of speech and expression.

Thus social media has helped to facilitate information that can be used as a weapon to spread propaganda .Thus a new age of revolution through social media, phenomena never seen before, arose. Regimes, revolutionaries and counter revolutionaries now have in their hands a means of meeting their agendas through social media. Social media has thus provided the individual access to the world and has provided the world access to individuals!