Protest in Egypt -- "Egyptians' Fury has Smoldered Beneath the Surface for Decades"

Egypt has erupted in protest. The grievances behind the protests have long been there. Egyptian President Mubarak has held power for over 30 years, largely through election rigging. This past November in the Parliamentary elections, the president’s party won 500 of 518 seats, which resulted in the loss of almost all opposition seats. The effect is that voices of opposition have been pushed out of government. Furthermore, the Egyptian government does not have a clean history in regards to human rights. The Emergency Law, passed in 1981 allows people to be arrested without charges, detain prisoners indefinitely, and limit freedom of expression and assembly. While the law is only supposed to be used to combat terrorism, that is not the reality. Low wages and poverty are also a source of the Egyptians’ discontent with the current regime. Nearly half of Egyptians live on less than $2 a day. The people have taken to the streets in protest, calling for President Mubarak to step down.

To the full New York Time Article, click here: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/29/world/middleeast/29mubarak.html?_r=1&hp