Protest in Cairo’s Tahrir Square against the el-Sisi regime. (Reuters)

By JOHN LESLIE

Protests rocked Egypt last month as protesters took to the streets demanding the downfall of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi following the revelations of a corruption scandal. The protests began on Sept. 19 and did not fully subside for almost two weeks when quashed by government repression.

Construction magnate Mohamed Aly posted a series of videos on social media exposing el-Sisi, his wife, and elements of the military for corruption and millions of dollars in misallocated funds. Aly called for protests to drive el-Sisi from power, sparking demonstrations smaller than the massive protests that brought down Hosni Mubarak in 2011 as part of the region-wide Arab Spring upsurge. The protests have also been motivated by rising prices and a reduction in state food subsidies.

In January 2011, Egypt’s protest movement grew to tens of thousands—bringing the working class…