1977 Egyptian Bread Riots
Encyclopedia
The Egyptian 'Bread Riots' of 1977 affected most major cities in Egypt
from January 18-19, 1977. The riots were a spontaneous uprising by hundreds of thousands of lower class people protesting World Bank
and International Monetary Fund
-mandated termination of state subsidies on basic foodstuffs. As many as seventy-nine people were killed and 800 wounded in the protests, which were only ended with the deployment of the army and the re-institution of the subsidies.
's Infitah
(openness) policy, which had, since he took power at the beginning of the decade, sought to liberalize the economy. In 1976, he sought loans from the World Bank in an effort to relieve the country's debt burden. The bank criticized the state's policy of subsidizing basic foodstuffs, and Sadat announced in January 1977 that it was ending subsidies on flour, rice, and cooking oil and that it would cancel state employee bonuses and pay increases.
in upper Egypt to Alexandria
. For two days, rioters attacked targets that symbolized the prosperity of the middle class and the corruption of the regime, shouting slogans like, "Ya baṭal el-`obūr, fēn el-fotūr?" ("Hero of the Crossing, where is our breakfast?") and "Thieves of the Infitah, the people are famished." There were also shouts of "Nasser, Nasser," in reference to Sadat's predecessor, Gamal Abdel Nasser
. The rioting ended when the state abruptly canceled the new policies.
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
from January 18-19, 1977. The riots were a spontaneous uprising by hundreds of thousands of lower class people protesting World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
and International Monetary Fund
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
-mandated termination of state subsidies on basic foodstuffs. As many as seventy-nine people were killed and 800 wounded in the protests, which were only ended with the deployment of the army and the re-institution of the subsidies.
Lead Up to Riots
The riots' origin lay in president Anwar SadatAnwar Sadat
Muhammad Anwar al-Sadat was the third President of Egypt, serving from 15 October 1970 until his assassination by fundamentalist army officers on 6 October 1981...
's Infitah
Infitah
The Infitah was Egyptian President Anwar Sadat's policy of "opening the door" to private investment in Egypt in the years following the 1973 October War with Israel...
(openness) policy, which had, since he took power at the beginning of the decade, sought to liberalize the economy. In 1976, he sought loans from the World Bank in an effort to relieve the country's debt burden. The bank criticized the state's policy of subsidizing basic foodstuffs, and Sadat announced in January 1977 that it was ending subsidies on flour, rice, and cooking oil and that it would cancel state employee bonuses and pay increases.
Food Riots
Popular rejection of the announcement was not long in coming: On January 18 and 19, rioting by lower-class people who would have been hardest hit by the cancellation of the subsidies erupted across the country, from AswanAswan
Aswan , formerly spelled Assuan, is a city in the south of Egypt, the capital of the Aswan Governorate.It stands on the east bank of the Nile at the first cataract and is a busy market and tourist centre...
in upper Egypt to Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
. For two days, rioters attacked targets that symbolized the prosperity of the middle class and the corruption of the regime, shouting slogans like, "Ya baṭal el-`obūr, fēn el-fotūr?" ("Hero of the Crossing, where is our breakfast?") and "Thieves of the Infitah, the people are famished." There were also shouts of "Nasser, Nasser," in reference to Sadat's predecessor, Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein was the second President of Egypt from 1956 until his death. A colonel in the Egyptian army, Nasser led the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 along with Muhammad Naguib, the first president, which overthrew the monarchy of Egypt and Sudan, and heralded a new period of...
. The rioting ended when the state abruptly canceled the new policies.
See also
- List of modern conflicts in the Middle East
- 1986 Egyptian Conscription Riot1986 Egyptian Conscription RiotOn February 25, 1986, around 17,000 Egyptian conscripts of the Central Security Forces , Egyptian para-military force, staged violent protests in and around Cairo. The riot came as a reaction to the rumour that their three year service would be prolonged by one additional year.The incited...
- 2008 Egyptian general strike2008 Egyptian general strikeThe 2008 Egyptian general strike was a strike which occurred on 6 April 2008, by Egyptian workers, primarily in the state-run textile industry, in response to low wages and rising food costs. Strikes are illegal in Egypt and authorities have been given orders to break demonstrations forcefully in...
- Egyptian Revolution of 2011