(73) Egypt's activists turn to social media to call for satirists' release

Link: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/may/12/egypts-activists-social-media-facebook-satirists-release-awlad-el-shawarea

 

Summary:

 

Egyptian activists are using social media to demand the release of five detained members of a satirical street performance group whose video clips mocked the president, Abdel Fatah al-Sisi. The activists posted pictures on Facebook of themselves holding mobile phones in front of their faces with the caption: “Does a mobile phone camera rattle you?” The performers face several charges, including inciting terror attacks and street protests, attempting to overthrow the government and insulting state institutions, according to their lawyer Mahmoud Othman. The move against Awlad el-Shawarea underlined the government’s diminishing tolerance for dissent and signalled that its next target could be social media networks, one of the last remaining platforms for young, pro-democracy activists and artists to air their views and work.

Key data/statistical information:

• Othman told Associated Press on Thursday that the 5 were being held at a police station in the Cairo suburb of Heliopolis.
• Othman said their ages ranged between 19 and 25. A sixth member of the group, Mohammed Zein, has not been detained, he added.

What's my view?

This is an example of how people are now turning to social media to bring attention to a topic that they think should be discussed or to go against the elite people. From a Marxist viewpoint, this will do nothing to change the mind of the government as it is said that they are already considering perhaps censoring social media so as to avoid activists from expressing their point of views that go against the dominant ideology.