How to Revolt Intelligently
Publication, Other
2011—01 (27)
Following the Egyptian State’s heavy-handed response to protests on January 25th of 2011
—which would eventually lead to the unseating of then dictator Hosni Mubarak— I was compelled to quickly put together a very concise and poorly conceived manual of tactical tips and advice, based entirely on my observations of the chaos and confusions in and around Tahrir Square on the 25th.
The legendary reputation of this manual, I believe, seems to have exceeded its actual impact on the ground: from a partially translated version appearing on the Atlantic, to it being used in the Egyptian press as evidence of Iranian involvment in the protests (?), to another translated version surfacing in Ukraine prompting media there to point it out as proof of Western interference. In reality, the manual had little to no effect on actual events on the ground in Egypt, because the moment it was emailed out was barely an hour away from when the State cut off the internet as well as phone lines.
By the time Internet services had resumed, the Egyptian people had already occupied Tahrir Square and forced Egyptian police into hiding. It’s clear Egyptians were going to do their thing anyway and had very little need for an anonymously created pamphlet slapped together by some naive punk in a cafe smoking shisha while at it.
That’s what I think anyway.
Exhibitions:
Disobedient Objects—London, 2015
The legendary reputation of this manual, I believe, seems to have exceeded its actual impact on the ground: from a partially translated version appearing on the Atlantic, to it being used in the Egyptian press as evidence of Iranian involvment in the protests (?), to another translated version surfacing in Ukraine prompting media there to point it out as proof of Western interference. In reality, the manual had little to no effect on actual events on the ground in Egypt, because the moment it was emailed out was barely an hour away from when the State cut off the internet as well as phone lines.
By the time Internet services had resumed, the Egyptian people had already occupied Tahrir Square and forced Egyptian police into hiding. It’s clear Egyptians were going to do their thing anyway and had very little need for an anonymously created pamphlet slapped together by some naive punk in a cafe smoking shisha while at it.
That’s what I think anyway.
Exhibitions:
Disobedient Objects—London, 2015