The Rabaa massacre occurred on Aug. 14, 2013, a day every Egyptian will never forget. The event is often described as the end of the Arab Spring, where Egypt security forces stormed the streets of Cairo conducting a heinous operation to clear thousands of protestors, leaving at least 1,000 dead. Many call it the worst mass killings of demonstrations in modern history, and the worst massacre in Egypt’s recent history according to the Human Rights Watch (HRW). This week, a documentary chronicling the killings of hundreds of Egyptian protests at Cairo’s Rabaa-al-Adawiya Square aired at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA).
Directed by British Filmmaker Nicky Bolster, Memories of a Massacre marks the tenth anniversary of the killings. The screening’s of the documentary was accompanied by a panel discussion featuring activists, journalists, and eyewitnesses. The feature captures an unflinchingly honest depiction of the events that occurred the day of the massacre, including testimonies from survivors, highlighting and emphasizing how the massacre was initially the death of Egyptian democracy– the shattering of the dreams of the thousands that rushed to Tahrir Square in hope for a better Egypt in the weeks before and after the fall of former president Hosni Mubarak that occurred on Jan. 25 2011, and the context and events that paved the way for the current Egyptian regime as we know it. Additionally, the film details newsreel footage from public campaigns against the sit-in, with protests referred to as “cockroaches who must be crushed,” according to the Middle East Eye.
The protests were a result of the aftermath of the pro-democracy 2011 Egyptian revolution that led to the overthrow of the former Egyptian president. Mohamed Morsi, a high-ranking Muslim Brotherhood member, was elected as president marking him as the first freely-elected civilian leader in modern Egyptian history. His tenure was short-lived, as he led the country to a deteriorating economy and political stance– a peaceful protest sit-in ensued at Rabaa-al-Adawiya Square, as civilians demanded a return to democracy; however, a call for democracy led to a series of bloodshed by brutal force. According to the Middle East Eye, “In July and August 2013, five separate mass killings took place, as Egyptian security forces killed at least 1,150 protesters in what were widely considered crimes against humanity. Investigations by independent rights groups reported that the killings were intentional and systematic.”
Aug. 14, 2013 was a crime against humanity, and Bolster’s, Memories of a Massacre is bound to show you why.
