Speaker 1: On this day and working class history. The eighteenth of
Speaker 1: January and on the eighteenth of January nineteen seventy seven,
Speaker 1: workers and poor people across Egypt rose up against the
Speaker 1: ending of state subsidies for basic goods in what became
Speaker 1: known as the Bread into Fada. The cancelation of around
Speaker 1: fifty five million dollars in twenty twenty money of subsidies,
Speaker 1: especially on food, along with pay cuts for public sector workers,
Speaker 1: was announced the day before. On the morning of January eighteenth,
Speaker 1: workers in factories around Cairo and hell Ian began to
Speaker 1: walk out. In Schubert l Camar, some workers went on strike,
Speaker 1: while others occupied their workplaces as well. Meanwhile, students and
Speaker 1: civil servants marched on Parliament while protests spread across the country.
Speaker 1: Protesters cut railway lines and blockaded tracks, set fire to
Speaker 1: police stations, attacked hotels and wealth districts, and the headquarters
Speaker 1: of the ruling Egypt Arab Socialist Party with set up laze.
Speaker 1: Demonstrators braved violent security forces who were using live ammunition,
Speaker 1: and in some cases protesters seized referonry from police stations.
Speaker 1: Despite the government killing around eight hundred people and injuring
Speaker 1: many more, Within two days, strikes and rioting had occurred
Speaker 1: in most industrial towns and seas across the country. The
Speaker 1: government was forced to back down and withdraw its plans
Speaker 1: after just forty eight hours. Learn more about the history
Speaker 1: of the uprising in episodes fifty nine to sixty of
Speaker 1: the Working Class History podcast. Listen wherever you're listening to
Speaker 1: this podcast and the sources, maps and all of our
Speaker 1: anniversaries each day. Check out the on this Day section
Speaker 1: of our stories apt at stories Stop Workingclasshistory dot com,
Speaker 1: and if you value our work, support us at Patreon
Speaker 1: dot com slash working class History. Links in the show
Speaker 1: theme music by the cartore Setomour