Egypt's protests: What's next?
(CNN) -- With unprecedented numbers of protesters on the streets of Egypt calling for President
Hosni Mubarak to resign, what clues do earlier demonstrations in the region offer about what
will happen in Cairo?
Results have been mixed.
Tunisia, a relatively small and apparently stable country on the Mediterranean, triggered the
current wave of anti-government protests across the Middle East.
It had been ruled by President Zine El Abedine Ben Ali for 23 years and was seen as a well-
established police state.
But in December 2010, a fruit seller named Mohamed Bouazizi, 26, set himself on fire in protest
after police took away his fruit cart. The profoundly symbolic act of protest awakened a
suppressed fury in the population.
President Ben Ali visited Bouazizi's hospital bedside -- the college graduate lived for three weeks
before dying January 4 -- but he was unable to assuage the nation's rage at decades of corruption,
low living standards and grinding repression.
After weeks of protests in which more than 100 people died, according to the United Nations,
Ben Ali fled the country on January 14.
Longtime Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi took the reins of power and created a national
unity government, including both members of the old guard and opposition.
But the people demanded fuller reform, and Ghannouchi has continued to shuffle the government
to try to appease an angry populace.
New presidential elections have been promised within 60 days of Ben Ali's flight.
That's a dramatically different outcome from what happened in Iran a year and a half earlier,
when huge protests erupted after presidential elections in June 2009.
Many Iranians expected the defeat of incumbent hardline President Mahmoud Ahamdinejad, but
official results showed him as the winner.
Incredulous at the outcome and determined to overturn it, Iranians took to the streets, declaring
that a "Sea of Green" -- the color of Islam -- would force Ahmadinejad out of power.
The apparent revolution captured the imagination of the world, especially after a young woman,
Neda Agha-Soltan, was killed by a bullet to the chest during a demonstration.
The last moments of her life were caught on a shaky video that was seen by millions after it was
posted online.
But Iranian security forces cracked down hard. The government-backed plainclothes militia
known as the Basij waded into demonstrations with motorcycles and clubs, and untold numbers
of protesters were rounded up and thrown into prison.
Over time, demonstrations petered out, and the regime stayed in power. A year after the disputed
election, Ahmadinejad made a triumphant speech defending it as "free," and accusing "unjust"
foreign governments of interfering in Iran's affairs.
"But the Iranian nation defeated them," he declared.
A shocking act of violence led to a peaceful revolution in Lebanon in 2005.
Popular former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was killed by a massive bombing as he drove
through Beirut.
The bomb contained hundreds of pounds of explosives. It killed 22 other people besides Hariri,
and left buildings shattered and streets littered with the mangled wreckage of vehicles. .
Many Lebanese -- as well as the United States and United Nations investigators -- thought Syria
was responsible.
At the time of Hariri's death, neighboring Syria had immense political influence in the country,
and had maintained troops in its smaller neighbor since the 1980s.
The killing sparked widespread protests known as the Cedar Revolution, which led to the
eventual withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon and the election of an anti-Syrian bloc in
parliament.
Hariri's son Saad became prime minister.
But even in Lebanon, which has much more experience of democracy than most other countries
in the region, the results of the revolution remain unclear.
Saad Hariri was forced from power this year after government ministers allied with the Syrian-
and Iranian-backed militant movement Hezbollah quit the government.
Najib Mikati, a new prime minister loyal to Hezbollah, took office last week -- on the very day
that Hariri supporters took to the streets for a "Day of Rage."
That was Tuesday, the very same day that Egyptians ramped up their own ongoing protests
against Mubarak.
In both countries -- and across the Middle East -- the region, and the world, watch and wait to
see what happens next.
Egyptian government orders Al Jazeera
shutdown
(CNN) -- Egyptian authorities have said they are shutting down Al Jazeera's Cairo bureau, the
network said in a statement Sunday.
"Al Jazeera sees this as an act designed to stifle and repress the freedom of reporting by the
network and its journalists," the network said. "In this time of deep turmoil and unrest in
Egyptian society it is imperative that voices from all sides be heard; the closing of our bureau by
the Egyptian government is aimed at censoring and silencing the voices of the Egyptian people."
The network's Arabic-language channel was off the air in Egypt Sunday afternoon, but Al
Jazeera English was still on the air.
Egypt's information ministry announced Sunday that it was revoking Al Jazeera's license and
withdrawing accreditation of the network's staff, state media reported.
"Egypt's media department has decided to shut down the Al Jazeera channel," said an anchor on
state-run Nile TV.
Al Jazeera said it planned to continue its coverage of the unrest in Egypt.
Protesters around the world march against
Egypt's Mubarak
(CNN) -- Egyptians and activists around the world took to the streets in various cities Saturday
to show their support for the protests currently underway in Egypt and to join the call for
President Hosni Mubarak to step down.
Outside the Egyptian Embassy in London, people rallied, chanted, hoisted banners and
demanded change.
One sign, written in red ink, read: "From The Nile, To the Sea -- Egypt Soon Will Be Free!
Freedom for Egypt!"
"People were clearly voicing their anger at President Mubarak's regime but similarly they were
also very passionate about their demands for democracy and political reforms," said Amedeo
d'Amore, who attended the London protest.
Demonstrators chanted: "One, two, three, four, we don't want Mubarak anymore!" d'Amore said
in an e-mail to CNN.
Elsewhere in Europe, protesters in Geneva shouted slogans in Arabic, French and English,
chanting, "Get out, Mubarak!" according to Courtney Radsch, who attended the demonstration
there.
Radsch sent CNN a video of the protest that showed a crowd of people carrying signs that read,
"Freedom. Social Justice. Democracy" and "Free Egypt."
Protests also took place in cities throughout Canada.
About 150 protesters gathered outside the Egyptian consulate in Montreal, CNN affiliate CTV
reported. In Toronto, a downtown rally drew more than 500 people, it said.
Ahmed Khalifa, who helped organize the Toronto protest, said he was encouraged by the protests
in Egypt and stressed their significance.
"We are witnessing a great change in history," he told CTV. "It's like the fall of the Berlin Wall.
We are watching Egyptian people and Middle Eastern people telling us that 'we want freedom.' "
Anti-Mubarak demonstrations were also held across the United States.
Sudanese police, students clash in the capital
Khartoum, Sudan (CNN) -- Sudanese police clashed with students Sunday as protests inspired
by rallies in Egypt broke out in the capital.
The students protested at a university in Khartoum, chanting "No to high prices, no to
corruption" and "Tunisia, Egypt, Sudan together as one."
About 100 students hurled rocks at police officers, who forced them back. Five people were
arrested, authorities said.
Students resumed the protests and tried to engage bystanders as soon as police left the area.
