When political officials, civil servants and business owners believe they can do as they please and treat people how they see fit, it is time for a change. For several years now this is what the citizens of Egypt have had to face, police brutality, minimum wages, impoverish conditions and high levels of unemployment. According to Whence the Revolution by Stephan Franklin, minimum wage for beginning workers was $7 a month for more than 20 years, it was not until the government grew tired of the lawsuits, labor and human-rights groups that they agreed to bump their minimum wage to $70 a month, a $60 increase that was provided yet is still $50 a month shy of $120 needed to earn for a family of four to escape poverty. The people went through the legal process, had protests, they resulted in a win and received an increase but it is still not enough to better the people of Egypt’s lifestyle, but it’s a start, a battle won in the midst of a war.
Some of the efforts made that have helped the country win additional battles are by the people putting their poor conditions on display for the world to see by utilizing the internet. They have had videos of police officers sodomizing a bus driver, attacking groups of men and young women, eye witness accounts expressing the abuse they’ve witnessed and even a Facebook page that gained more than 100,000 followers in support against the inequality. Through the internet, blogs and social media channels the people of Egypt are risking their lives and safety to voice their mistreatment, bringing it to the country and the world’s attention that enough is enough.