Chants of the phrase “Hey hey, ho ho Mubarak has to go!” reverberated through the large crowd during a protest for Egypt on Saturday, January 29. Dressed in the colors of red, black and white and holding up signs featuring a caricature of Mubarak or words of contempt for the disgraced authoritarian leader, those of the Egyptian nationality and supporters alike marched down the streets of downtown D.C., blocking streets surrounded by photographers and local journalists.

A domino effect had taken place. A revolution beginning in Tunisia has spread to Yemen, Lebanon and now to Egypt.

Egypt’s revolution is receiving the most coverage as a result of the protests and the government’s oppression of the people. The revolution against Hosni Mubarak’s three-decade reign as president called for him to immediately step down and did so effectively. One thing to note is that this was not an Islamic revolution as previously thought; Egyptians from all walks of life were heading this movement and for good reason.

Instead of going on about what should be done to avoid chaos or thinking of a plausible solution for a new government, we have to put a face to the successful uprising. Beginning with those who are the most passionate about denouncing the government, young Egyptian men between the ages of 15-29 have been the most affected. Not long ago, back in the middle of January, a young Egyptian man by the name of Ahmed Hishim al-Sayyed, 25, followed the example of a fellow revolutionary in Tunisia and set himself on fire because he was unable to afford bread, unable to work and sadly lost his dignity. Unfortunately, this is a common shared conviction among many of the Egyptian men.

Looking at the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) for Egypt they have an unemployment rate of 9.7%, which is frustrating for all of those who pursued higher education only to find that there are no jobs available. The education they are receiving is insubstantial and puts them at a stalemate for any growth in their economy and in the world. With a country filled with young men and women with so much potential, the government or, rather, Hosni Mubarak has done nothing to make his citizens globally competitive or pursued a better education model. Dreams of beginning families, getting jobs and establishing themselves have long diminished.

With the outbreak of the anti-government riots, frustration grew once the Egyptian government blocked all Internet access in an attempt to suppress the voices of the people. Their effort, however, was ineffective, because news was still able to spread through a collective effort among the protesters.

The brutal death of Khaled Said by the hands of the police last summer also fueled the protests, angering and inciting revenge by those who were impacted by Said’s death. Said became the face of the revolution.

Attacks on the protesters of Tahrir Square and Cairo had the death toll rising, men and women starting from the youngest age of ten to their early 30s had become victims. Reporters had been put at a risk including Ahmed Mohammed Mahmoud, 36, who died taking photographs. Both local and international reporters in the midst of reporting and taking photographs had been fighting through the crowds to safety. Wael Ghonim, a Google executive, was taken into custody by Egyptian authorities and was released and returned to the protests with even greater indignation.
More over, he became a political hero for some demonstrators. Beyond the protests are desperate pleas for reform and as the government cracks down on the people they only fight back with more solidarity and passion.

And with the unified approach of the demonstrators this revolution was triumphant and made history last week on Feb. 11 after Hosni Mubarak finally stepped down and handed power to the Egyptian military.

Let us not forget about the young individuals who were behind this revolution, and the choices they had to make in order to attain better lives. Without any hope there had been others like Ahmed out there asking for change, and as this story continued to unfold the cries of the protesters were not in vain and they were able to overcome the tribulations put through their way.

As John Locke once asserted, people are born with certain unalienable rights. They have the right to life, liberty and property, and if the government infringes upon those protected rights, the people have the right to replace the government.