What was it that started all these riots in Egypt?

[LMGTFY]

I heard about it when it started but i don't know what exactly started all this mayhem. I know that their president is pretty much a dictator and they it had something to do with facebook, or twitter? right?

[Nijis]

People want the president to resign but he doesnt want to

[sweet_heba]

simply the egyptians decided they want freedom & they don't want to be ruled by a dictator called Mubarak. millions of egyptians protested against Mubarak ,, the police were very violent with the protesters about 500 protesters were killed 5000 were injured since the beginning if the protests jan 25th ...the government made a very mean plan .. the police vanished at 5 pm in the friday of rage from allover egypt , there was no single policeman not even traffic man in the streets .. the government also opened most of the Egyptian prisons , about 20,000 prisoners were released in the streets having the weapons of the police attacking protesters in the streets & ppl in their homes .. the government want to scare ppl so that they forget their demands & focus on their security... very shameful ..curfew was declared in the main cities & the army forces had to take place of police who simply vanished ...Mubarak then declared he will form a new government .. but protests were continued ..because that wasn't enough ...the main demand is they want Mubarak to step down ....Mubarak then announced that wouldn't run for the next elections ...also he decided to have a vice president for the 1st time in 30 years .. & he will make reforms in the constitution .. also that wasn't enough .. they don't trust Mubarak they want him to step down .. but he refuses .. pro-moabrak mobs attacked the protesters in tahrir square by camels ! & horses .. they threw Molotov cocktails on them ... that attack continued for over 36 hrs & the government was watching & didn't protect the peaceful protesters .. protesters decided to continue protesting till Mubarak step down !
the riots is done by Mubarak protesters , police in civilian clothes & prisoners that mubarak released from prisons .
there were groups on facebook that made campaigns against mubarak & gathered alot of ppl to go in protests to ask for their freedom & for their rights ..the government hide the facebook & twitter & then cut the internet ..cellphones .. & text messaging !

[Pete O]

The whole situation started when the Egyptian people saw the result of the demonstrations in Tunisia, a neighbouring country, where the dictator president was ousted by people power.

The Tunisian government was corrupt and had been in power for many years. The corruption was uncovered when diplomatic documents were published by WikiLeaks.

Egypt also had a president that had been in power for over 30 years and ruled like a dictator. There was virtually no opposition to his rule and anyone who was deemed a threat to his power simply disappeared or was arrested on trumped-up charges.

Corruption has been rife in Egypt for many years and this resulted in the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. The poor in Egypt have has a real struggle to just survive.

The people saw this as an opportunity to revolt against the rule of Hosni Mubarak and street demonstrations resulted.

Large demonstrations were organised using facebook and twitter to organise the crowds. The government subsequently disabled the internet and blackberry so information was stopped.

Millions have turned out and Mubarak has said he will stand down later in the year. The people do not believe him and are demanding he go now.

Over 200 people have been killed in the mayhem. Probably many more we do not know about.

Demonstrations are continuing.

[Mohab Eldeeb]

Many people will say this or that, but the simple truth is that Tunisia and the page "We are all Khalid Said" are the main reasons

[Hesham F]

to understand what happen in Egypt you must know this facts :
1- Mubarak is pro-American who govern Egypt since 1981 , and wanted to put his son as new president on the presidential election on September 2011
2- he make Egypt poor , stole Egypt fortune with his Family (British Journals shows with proofs that Mubarak family escaped between 40 to 70 Billion dollar to U.S.A ,UK ,Switzerland , France , Dubai ), friends ,his company , sell Gas to Israel with 25% of market price (While Israel considered enemy) , make other Arab countries hate Egypt , and make Egypt a Police country, where internal inelegance can arrest anyone and kill anyone and abuse anyone
3- Egypt is most threaten for Israel due to big population 90 millions and big army, and Egypt fortune of resources and smart labor force also Egypt
Defeated Israel 1973 completely, while Egypt and Israel have peace agreement but Israel fear from any other coming government that may do not respect
The peace agreement and give Israel the chance to keep killing innocent people in Palestine like usual, so America, Israel , U.K want Mubarak and do not
Care about democracy, human rights, just want to keep their advantages with Mubarak
4- Egyptians make civil revolution against Mubarak system; it started to collect people through face book, tweeter, etc , most of them is youth 15-30 years old
Who do not find job while they are well educated , abused by police , and want to build a new future of Egypt
5- He stopped internet, mobile, satellite; arrest BBC, CNN, Aljazeera TV agents, close international human rights offices in Cairo
6- He pushed 1 million dirty brutal police forces fully equipped with every facility /tool /weapon to stop the protests
7- the protests arrange the Friday of rage 28 of Jan , and show historical courage never seen in this century and defeated the police completely ,more than 300 protests killed , more than 3000 injured
8- Mubarak pushed the army, but the Egyptian army history is clean and did not ever fire a bullet on Egyptians protests but at the same time high ranks and leaders
Of the army still loyal to Mubarak , while low ranks and soldiers support the revolution inside them selves
9- Mubarak take of the police from streets and open jails for criminals to make looting in the country so people fear and ask for the police help
10- The protests make groups like police to secure the country and arrange traffic and arrest criminals
11- Mubarak put a vice president and new government to make people calm
12- Protests refuse and they want the following:
1- Mubarak must go
2- Canceling the emergency law which gives permission to arrest anyone this law is 30 years implemented and give the dictators the chance to arrest anyone without courts
3- New constitution that secure freedom and democracy, human rights
4- Reelect a new parliament
13- The army leader said, we will not ever fire on people and the people is free to show their choice (the army leaders shows that he natural now , while he still support Mubarak )
14- American hypocrite government started to comment at first with supporting Mubarak cause he is a friend of them and Israel but now they start to show some support to Egyptian protests , now after they sure that mobile cannot continue and protests is so strong after they become more than 8 millions , so America try to find a solution
To be sure that the new president will not be anti-American/anti-west
15- America still supports him until now and gives him every facility to stop the revolution
16 – Mubarak and business men related to him hire criminals and secret police to make a massacred in liberation square and kill as much as protests as they can
And destroy Egyptian museum which hold 75% of human historical ancient antiques which value trillions of dollars , the protests shown unshaken steadfastness
And 1000s injured and killed.
17- The revolution will success and America will lose their power step by step in Middle East because its hypocrite and foolish policy
18- Revolution started in Tunisia and then Egypt and will continue to all Arab countries and this make America and Israel fear, because they support all dictator
systems in Arab countries to keep Arab counties weak , and take the resources of the area , and keep the cancer state of Israel which built by terrorist and crimes
19- This revolution not for specific ideology (it's not like Iran revolution), protests is Muslims, Christians, liberals, socialist, every methodology in Egypt
It’s the biggest CIVIAL protest in history 8 million (10% of population) , it's for democracy , freedom , human rights , so why America /EU keep Quit?
REVOLUTION UNTIL VICTORY, EGYPT IS UPRISING, LONG LIFE EGYPT, THE OLDEST CIVILIZATION IN HISTORY

[Ali Ali]

It all started as youth movement on face-book they are protesting for better life basically and changing for dictator president whose been ruling egypt for past 30 years.
For more information see following wikipedia page on it,which explains everything about problem in egypt.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Egyptian_protests

youtube interview with one of organizers of this movement.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=iv&...ion_914368

This movement is led by young people it doesn't have any religion idealogies or anything.
This is led by young people who want there country to change for a better democratic country,where it has Good education,job for people,Basically better life.