At the time when the Egyptian revolt was ignited in January 2011, it seemed to carry with it most of the characteristics of the birth of a new liberal constitutional order. The protests driven by the urban middle class were focused on liberalising the political system, the rights of citizenship and the protection of human rights.
There were no demands for democratising the economic system, as the sanctity of property was to be respected, and when ideas of massive wealth redistribution began to emerge, they were quickly sidelined. In essence, the demands were for a top down change in the political system. The discourse that followed was based on the assumption of the neutrality of the state, and control over it would be achieved through strictly legal means.
The struggle against the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) was limited to the legal realm; mainly a struggle over the constitution or the presidential elections.
