On Friday energetic discussions on Twitter followed the latest developments of Tunisia’s "Jasmine Revolution" minute by minute, as thousands of Tunisians rioted, demanding that President Zine al-Abedine Ben Ali leave his post.
Most Egyptian tweets referred to the possibility and desire for a similar upheaval in Egypt to lead to a regime toppling.
A spontaneous protest in Cairo was called for on Twitter to hail the Tunisian revolution when it was confirmed that Ben Ali’s had left the country. The resulting protest, albeit brief, brought together some 50 Egyptians and a handful of Tunisians who congratulated each other on the coup.
A slogan chanted there made it to Twitter immediately and circulated virally: “Oh Ben Ali, tell Mubarak a plane is also waiting for him.”
The function of Twitter as a relatively safe space for political venting was manifested in other responses to Tunisia’s upheaval. Ayman Nour, head of the opposition al-Ghad Party and former presidential candidate, expressed happiness about the Tunisian uprising. “Injustice knows neither a religion nor a god. Whoever violates people's rights is a rapist," he tweeted.
He heralded other popular uprisings that had toppled dictatorships. "From [Nicolae] Ceauşescu to Ben Ali, people need to learn that dictatorships can resist but can also immediately fall.”
“I send my sincerest condolences to President Mubarak for the ousting of his brother, his identical copy, his relative, his apprentice who exceeded his master. May God show us similar outcomes for our despot,” he wrote. “Rumor has it that Ben Ali's plane will stop in Sharm al-Sheikh not for transit but to pick up other passengers,” he wrote in a satirical reference to Mubarak.
Other tweets also satirized Mubarak in light of the Tunisian upheaval. "Oh Mubarak, may God show you the day when you will drive your own plane," said a Twitter user, referencing the famous national rhetoric of Mubarak being the aviation leader in the 1973 war against Israel.
Gamal Eid, head of the Arab Network of Human Rights Information, was also actively tweeting about the Tunisian government's fall. His organization called Ben Ali “the Arab Pinochet” in 2005.
On Twitter, Eid cited the names of journalists affiliated to the ruling National Democratic Party who supported Ben Ali’s regime. In November, seven newspapers published advertisements hailing the achievements of the former Tunisian president.
"Months ago in Tunisia, Facebook pages witnessed people in despair, posting notes about the loss of hope for political change,” tweeted someone from Egypt.
Other tweets said the problem in Egypt is that there's space for talk but not much for deeds.
Tweets went viral once it was confirmed that Ben Ali had left for Saudi Arabia. US-based Egyptian journalist Mona Eltahawy tweeted that she condemned the Saudi regime's move to host such a despot. But Saudi tweets responded that Israeli leaders have been repeatedly hosted by the Egyptian regime too.
Eltahawy responded, “My fellow Arabs: you are not your leaders. When we criticize your leaders don't be so defensive of them. They don't represent u!"
