The Republican Guard massacre… How did the media machine work?

The eleventh chapter of the Documentary Encyclopedia of the Republican Guard Massacre, issued by the Awareness Foundation for Research and Development, based in the British capital, London, deals with what the encyclopedia documented about the media’s handling of the horrific massacre at all levels and forms. It is the chapter for which we devote the following presentation: The size of the media material contained in the encyclopedia and the method of arrangement and classification in which it was contained showed the efforts made by the editors of this document in creating rich, organized and expressive media material that facilitates the process of viewing for researchers, scholars and historians; In addition to being arranged for electronic indexing, it fulfills the basic purpose of recording, recording, and preserving it, thus making it easy to access and secure it from deletion and loss.

First: Description of the media material

The encyclopedia classified the news media material related to the Guards Club massacre by day, and covered the time period from June 25 to July 15, 2013, as June 25 represents the beginning of the stage in which the coup group took actual procedural steps to implement the coup plan and its repercussions, including the deployment of the army in the Egyptian country, in what was said at the time, “to protect the demonstrators,” and the subsequent demonstrations of June 30 and the last speech of President Morsi on July 2, and then the statement of the coup in July 3, then the mass killings of those who rejected the military coup began on July 5 and July 8. The media description took the date of July 15 as the end point of media coverage of the massacre, as July 15 is considered an estimated date by the document’s editors for the beginning of the weakness of media coverage of this event, as the Egyptians were on the verge of new events, as the grave events continued after that. The news headlines in the different areas mentioned above were arranged chronologically for local, regional and international newspapers, in addition to examples of new media. The content of the press investigations related to the massacre was also described, press materials were coded, and the content of each news item was summarized in key words so that the encyclopedia reader could easily access the required content.

Second: The content of the media material

During this presentation, we review a sample of these media categories and analyze their various contexts. The encyclopedia dealt with the Egyptian media (pro- and anti-legitimacy), then the Arab and international media, and the new media… which we stand on as an example of it as follows: A. A sample of the Egyptian media (content analysis) within the framework of reading the available material about the Egyptian media in the encyclopedia. It was revealed that most of the Egyptian official, party and private newspapers carried out a systematic and gradual campaign to prepare for the military coup according to a well-thought-out plan that played on one tune, and only the Freedom and Justice newspaper tweeted outside the flock.^[1] – The mouthpiece of the party of elected President Mohamed Morsi. When looking at the news headlines, we find the features of the organized press campaign that went in a coordinated direction in all newspapers, and appeared blatant after the military council issued a warning to grant a deadline to the government and the opposition to meet the demands of the people – according to its description – as follows: 1- Media loyal to the coup of July 3, 2013.

1. General context of disinformation

Newspapers and satellite channels began promoting a series of lies, the most famous of which are:

• The lie of failure began with an organized campaign against Prime Minister Hisham Qandil, and the demand for his dismissal, as if he was the whole problem, and then this infection spread to distorting the president by all means and with all possible fake news, and personal exposure to the family and everyone who works with him or shows any sympathy or effort.
• The lie of the Brotherhood: The newspapers adopted this lie first by claiming that the Brotherhood was employed in the government and in public positions, and then claiming that it occurred in the Ministry of Interior and the Army! The Nour Party was the black horse in this political slander, such as the lie of appointing 191,000 members of the Brotherhood all at once to the state apparatus – which was denounced by Younes Makhyoun, the party’s secretary, at the National Dialogue Forum – (Sobhi, 2013), which after the coup turned out to be pure slander at the behest of the National Security Apparatus, which was planning to return by spreading chaos and lies.
• A lie of sales and abandonment, such as the claim of selling the Suez Canal and the Maspero building to the State of Qatar! And selling part of Sinai to Hamas! America’s help to the Brotherhood!!

2. The context of the coup and mass killing

The tone of rebellion rose, and newspapers highlighted the words of journalist Mohamed Hassanein Heikal (the godfather of military coups): “The future depends on rebellion”!! Heikal’s statements attacking President Morsi topped the headlines of Egyptian newspapers, and this coincided with the disappearance of fuel. In this context, Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper published on June 28, 2013 – in a mockery of the Brotherhood’s slogan: “We bring goodness to Egypt” – with the headline: “Fuel in the time of the Brotherhood: “We carry queues for Egypt”!!… and other headlines such as: “Queens at ATM machines”!! The newspapers also highlighted the demands of the coup plotters’ forces for early presidential elections in a remarkable way since the twenty-sixth of June, which was the day after the deployment of the army and police forces throughout The Republic began to disappear, and the previous campaign of lies of brotherhood, selling, and failure began to disappear, entering a new phase accompanying the coup, with headlines such as: “Destroying the headquarters of the Freedom and Justice Party.”… “The Salafist Call (Burhami and the Nour Party) appeals to the members of the Islamic Movement to leave the squares”… “Peaceful demonstration is guaranteed”!… “The Mufti: Demonstration is legally permissible”… “Morsi and his family are in a safe place”… “Morsi and his family are transferred to a home”. The Republican Guard, fearing June 30…

3. Before the massacre:

In preparation for the massacre, a new phase of lies occurred in headlines such as: “Reporting the kidnapping of two members from April 6 inside the Rabaa sit-in”!!… “Guard protesters threaten to storm the club with two missiles”!!

4. After the first massacre:

The main headlines of Egyptian newspapers were, from a sample, “The Brotherhood declares war on the people”… “The guide launches a cry of blood”!!^[2]… “Rasheen smacked^[3] She holds the Brotherhood responsible for her martyr son!^[4]… “A Syrian defendant confesses: The Freedom and Justice Party gave us money and weapons to attack Tahrir Square^[5]“!!.

5. After the second massacre occurred in front of the Guard House (the second massacre):

Newspapers issued headlines such as: “In the prosecution’s investigations: 200 protesters attempted to storm the headquarters with weapons amid chants of (Allahu Akbar)”! (Al-Ahram, July 9)[6]… “Azar: The Brotherhood is a terrorist group, and what happened in front of the Republican Guard was “fabricated”!” (Al-Bawaba News, July 8)… “The Brotherhood requests weapons from the Brotherhood of Upper Egypt to confront the battle of the Republican Guard”!… “The Revolutionary Coalition in Aswan: The massacre of the Guard was planned by the Brotherhood”!! Despite the abundance of this news, there are news that escaped the censors, such as: “Deaths and injuries as a result of an attempt to disperse the Republican Guard sit-in”… “Increasing demands for an impartial investigation”… “Three people, including an injured person, were arrested for possessing a camera, a helmet and plastic pipes”!! 2- Media loyal to legitimacy. The document was presented to the newspaper Freedom and Justice as a model for the media that rejects the coup and is loyal to legitimacy, especially since the first measures taken by the coup were to close all neutral or loyal media channels and outlets. Only the Freedom and Justice newspaper remained for some time until it was permanently closed with the intensification of events and was banned from publishing weeks after the coup took place. Interest in it comes because it is the only voice expressing those who rejected the coup during a massacre. Republican Guard Club. As a matter of objective approach, we must take into account the conditions and circumstances in which this newspaper was operating. It was subjected to restrictions by arresting many of the leaders of the party in whose name the newspaper was published, and they were among the most important writers on its pages, and then the deliberate slowdown in the process of its distribution by government companies. It was also crowded with news, its electronic portal was disrupted, and a number of its correspondents and cadres were subjected to arrest or persecution, and this progressed to affect everyone who cooperates or deals with it, so it fell. The newspaper is in a state of severe crisis at the levels of editing, printing and distribution. Below, we monitor the most important contents of this newspaper, which expresses support for legitimacy and rejection of the coup in the context of rejection of violence and support for constitutional legitimacy.

• Before the massacre:

In our monitoring of the news in this newspaper since June 26, 2013, through the coup, the Minister of Defense, General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, appointing Counselor Adly Mansour as interim president, and the massacre of the guards, we find that the newspaper monitored the following: Facts of an artificial crisis In gasoline and diesel, there was a deliberate scarcity of money at ATM machines, and this was expressed by some officials in the government of Hisham Qandil, including what the newspaper reported on June 26, quoting the governor of Sohag, saying that despite the increase in the fuel quota allocated to the governorate to 400 tons, the crisis intensified more than before, as only 300 tons were reaching the governorate without a crisis occurring!!.. A similar observation was published by the newspaper, quoting (Hassan Al-Prince), deputy governor of Alexandria. What is happening in Alexandria regarding fuel and the declaration that the forces of the counter-revolution (the coup plotters) are behind the crisis… and similar to this was news reported by the newspaper from Dr. (Mohamed Ali Bishr), the Minister of Local Government… and these warnings of the existence of a manufactured crisis continued. Then the newspaper recorded the disappearance of the gasoline crisis on July 4, the abundance of currencies, and the disappearance of all crises in a matter of hours, suddenly and without prior introductions, and there became an abundance of all of this one day after the statement of the coup. And in context Warning against army intervention Warning against overthrowing legitimacy What was called for by what was known as the Salvation Front at the time, and some public figures and some of them affiliated with the revolution – the newspaper reported statements by the Minister of Justice (Ahmed Suleiman) warning of a military coup, including: “Minister of Justice: Protecting constitutional legitimacy is the only way to preserve the integrity of the country and demonstrating is a constitutional right.” The newspaper also published a statement from the Presidency of the Republic, which confirmed that the parties affirm their adherence to the electoral fund and the rejection of violence. The newspaper also published on June 30, 2013, a tribute to Dr. Mohamed El-Beltagy, in a statement by some army commanders in response to those calling for the army’s intervention in political life, in which he said: “We are now working to raise combat efficiency.” It later became clear that such statements were a form of strategic deception of all popular and revolutionary forces, or that they were real voices that had been silenced. And in context Maintaining constitutional legitimacy The newspaper reported news of the demonstrations in support of legitimacy and emphasizing the rejection of violence, and its choice of Rabaa al-Adawiya Square as a place for expression in order to avoid friction with the opposition parties that call for army intervention, and which took Tahrir Square and the Ittihadiya Palace as places for its demonstrations. The newspaper paid attention to the statements that emphasize adherence to legitimacy, and then reported President Morsi’s speech on July 2, 2013, in which he announced a road map between the government and the opposition to reach a political agreement for the post-30 period. June, in which he called for adherence to constitutional legitimacy, demanding that the armed forces withdraw their warnings, and declaring his willingness to sacrifice his life to protect legitimacy, while emphasizing his rejection of any harm to the army, the police, legitimacy, or citizens. In the context of covering incidents of violence, killing, arson, and rebellion against constitutional legitimacy, the newspaper published frequent news about thugs and groups known as the Black Bloc.^[7] – Under the political cover of what was known as the Salvation Front – by burning, attacking and storming the official headquarters of the Freedom and Justice Party and the headquarters of the Muslim Brotherhood, and the fall of an increasing number of martyrs and large numbers of wounded and injured members of the party and the group in the headquarters throughout the republic. The newspaper covered the expansion of these coordinated operations, and the news published by the newspaper continued with the expansion of burning, smashing and storming by armed groups of private property of individuals and service facilities belonging to members of the party. Freedom and Justice or the Brotherhood, with reference to the suspicious failure of the police to arrest the attackers, the failure of the Civil Defense to extinguish the fires, as well as the prosecution that released the attackers who were arrested at the same time or after hours. Examples of these headlines, as reported by the newspaper, include: “Tamarud and Salvation thugs burn the Freedom and Justice headquarters in Beni Suef, Sinbellaween, and Al-Hadra.” “Attacking the Islamic Dawa Schools Complex in Beni Suef.” “Destroying a private library owned by the Secretary of Freedom and Justice in Port Fouad,” with the newspaper clarifying the continued absence of the police and the deployment of the army, allegedly preoccupied with protecting the facilities. The newspaper also published statements on the position of the Freedom and Justice Party, as well as the Muslim Brotherhood, and their complete refusal to respond to violence or participate in it. The facts confirmed this position, as the dead and injured fell on one side, the side of those supporting legitimacy. The newspaper continued its coverage after the end of the 6/30 demonstrations demanding the intervention of the army (which lasted several hours and then ended), as it published news of the increasing killings and burning of the headquarters of the Freedom and Justice Party, and the increasing crowds of demonstrators supporting the legitimacy. The newspaper documented it with pictures, places, and live broadcast on its electronic portal, and drew multiple maps of the demonstrations, activities, and political groups affiliated with the legitimacy and which are expanding and expanding, and the increasing crowds in Rabaa Square. Infectiousness, the increase in numbers supporting legitimacy after the president’s last speech, the news of the loss of contact with him after this speech, and the excessive increase in crowds in the days following the coup statement. The newspaper covered the failure of the June 30 Forces’ mobilization operations when they tried to repeat the demonstrations or sit-ins after this date. The newspaper also reported on the spread of chaos in Tahrir Square and the occurrence of cases of harassment. The newspaper also reported on the arrest of some Egyptian and foreign correspondents by the coup authorities, in order to avoid conveying the truth about what is happening in Tahrir Square (press website, 2013). The newspaper then followed up on the consequences of the failure to continue the popular mobilization in support of the coup and the increase and expansion of the demonstrations rejecting it. It monitored the beginnings of the appearance of security men on the scene and their harassment of demonstrations in support of legitimacy and clashes with them, and how they became after the July 3 statement, where they were openly present with the thugs. Then the newspaper documented the beginnings of the gradual decline of the thugs and the progress of the police forces and sometimes the army in completing these tasks themselves. When the arrests of the leaders of the Freedom and Justice Party and some leaders of the Brotherhood increased, the newspaper tried to cover this and follow the funerals of the victims in the successive events that began to increase and spread throughout the country. It also documented the police firing live bullets at students at Cairo University and Al-Azhar University, and targeting any gathering in support of constitutional legitimacy by some army forces…

• After the first massacre:

تضمنت الوثيقة تغطية صحيفة الحرية والعدالة للأحداث التي وقعت في الرابع والخامس من يوليو، واللذين شهدا تطورات مثيرة في أماكن عدة، فهناك اشتباكات بين البلطجية والمعتصمين قرب اعتصام النهضة، وسجلت الصحيفة أول إطلاق نار من قبل أحد ضباط الجيش ضد بعض المستغيثين به من هجوم البلطجية في ميدان النهضة، كما أوردت الصحيفة تحذيرًا للبلتاجي من موقعة جمل جديدة في رابعة ومطالبته الجيش بحماية المعتصمين، كما نقلت خبر دراسة الاتحاد الإفريقي تعليق عضوية مصر لحين استعادة المسار الديمقراطي. في هذا التوقيت نشرت الصحيفة تحذيرات بأنها معرّضة للاختراق أو سقوط بوابتها “وتابعونا على الفيسبوك”! وتزامن ذلك مع اعتقالات لبعض مراسليها، واعتذار البعض الآخر عن الاستمرار في العمل خشية المخاطر. وأبرزت الصحيفة خبر استدعاء مدير مكتب قناة الجزيرة للتحقيق، وكذلك اعتقال مهندس الصوتيات بها، وصدور بيانات للإخوان والحزب والمكاتب الإدارية للتحذير من أي انجرار إلى العنف، والتأكيد على سلمية الثورة وسلمية الاحتجاجات. ونقلت الصحيفة بيانات لعلماء وشخصيات عامة ترفض الانقلاب وتعلن التضامن وانضمام فئات جديدة للاعتصام الرئيسي، وخبر نصب 100 خيمة اعتصام أمام دار نادي الحرس الجمهوري، وتظاهر المعتصمين أمام بوابة الحرس مباشرة، ومداعبة بين الحراس من الشرطة والمتظاهرين دون حدوث أي اقتحام، رغم كثرة المتظاهرين وقلة الحراس، وبثت صورًا وفيديوهات لحالة الانسجام والتفاهم بين المعتصمين وأمن النادي!!

لقد صدرت أخبار اليوم السادس من يوليو 2013 في صحيفة الحرية والعدالة، وليس فيها تغطية كافية للمذبحة التي وقعت في الخامس من يوليو واستشهد فيها خمسة من الشباب. ويبدو أن الصحيفة لم تنتبه لهذه الحادثة وخطورتها وراحت تغطي مذابح أخرى في مناطق ملتهبة غير دار الحرس مثل (سيدي جابر) حيث سقط 12 شهيدا، و(بين السرايات) و(شارع مراد)، فضلا عن انشغالها بتغطية أخبار المحافظات التي كانت تخرج في بعضها مظاهرات مليونية وتشتبك الشرطة والبلطجية بأطرافها أو تهاجمها عندما توشك على الانفضاض، ولكن الصحيفة ذكرت أن هناك حشودا عسكرية عند دار الحرس، وهناك حشود من المعتصمين وازدياد الخيام من 100 خيمة إلى 300 خيمة.

• After the second massacre occurred in front of the Guard House (the second massacre):

وقعت المذبحة الثانية يوم الثامن من يوليو، واستفاقت الصحيفة على الأصداء الدولية والمحلية التي أبرزت الحدث، وحاولت الصحيفة تغطية الحدث وترك المناطق الملتهبة الأخرى، في ظل اعتقال أو اعتذار مراسليها، واعتقال كبار الكتاب فيها، وحدوث اضطراب في إدارة الصحيفة واتهامها مباشرة في المؤتمر الصحفي المشترك بين الشرطة والجيش بأنها نشرت صورة لأطفال من سوريا على أنهم من ضحايا مذبحة دار الحرس على بوابتها الإخبارية ثم حذفته، حيث تركت وسائل الإعلام المذبحة وما سال فيها من دماء وركزت على هذ الاتهام لصحيفة الحرية والعدالة – والذي لم يتم التحقق منه إن كان ناتجًا عن خطأ فعلي من الصحيفة أو عن اختراق مباشر أو غير مباشر لبوابة الصحيفة الإلكترونية – وكان هذا الخبر (صورة الأطفال السوريين) بالإضافة إلى طرد مراسلي الجزيرة من المؤتمر الصحفي المشترك لوزارتي الدفاع والداخلية، هما ما وضعته وسائل الإعلام المصرية في بؤرة الاهتمام، وانصرفت عن تغطية المذبحة المروِّعة وملابساتها وعدد ضحاياها، وكذلك فعلت الصحف العربية الداعمة للانقلاب العسكري.

صدر عدد يوم 9 يوليو 2013 بأخبار كثيرة عن المذبحة، حيث تدرجت أعداد الشهداء قبلها في يوم 8 يوليو على البوابة الإلكترونية للصحيفة أثناء متابعة سير الحدث من 16 إلى 34 إلى 50 إلى 60 شهيدا. والعجيب أن بعض وكالات الأنباء الدولية نقلت عن بوابة الحرية والعدالة عدد الشهداء، ونقلت عن الجيش والشرطة أسباب الحادث ومبرراته، ومنها صحيفة (روسيا اليوم)!! ووثقت الصحيفة عن شهود عيان رفض بعض الجنود إطلاق النار وإصاباتهم من الخلف، وتصريح المتحدث الإعلامى باسم حزب الحرية والعدالة (جهاد الحداد)، في بيان، بأن الاعتداء كان في الركعة الثانية، وهو ما أكده مراسلو الجارديان والجزيرة، ونقلت عن نقابة الأطباء بيانا بسقوط 70 شهيدا، وبيانا من هيئات أردنية أن مذبحة الحرم الإبراهيمي في الخليل تتكرر في مصر وفي صلاة الفجر، كما نشرت الصحيفة نداءات مستشفى الدمرداش للتبرع بالدم نظرا لكثرة الإصابات. وأوردت الصحيفة أنباء التفاعل مع الحدث من شجب بعض المنظمات الدولية وبعض الحكومات للمذبحة، مثل تركيا وبريطانيا، والمطالبات بالتحقيق، كما نشرت أنباء تشييع الجنازات وقصص الشهداء، ونقلت الصحيفة اعتذار (توكل كرمان) السياسية اليمنية الحاصلة على جائزة نوبل عن مطالبتها الرئيس مرسي بالاستقالة من قبل واعترافها بوقوعها ضحية لخداع مصري وعربي ودولي كبير، وقولها بعد بيان الانقلاب ووقوع القتل الجماعي إن هذا انقلاب على ثورة يناير، كما نقلت الصحيفة عن (راشد الغنوشي)، زعيم حركة النهضة التونسية، تحميله المعتصمين في رابعة مسؤولية حماية الربيع العربي كله بقوله “فصمودكم يحمي كل الثورات”. كما نقلت الصحيفة أنباء عن وصف الواشنطن بوست بأن هذا اليوم (8 يوليو) هو أكثر الأيام دموية في مصر، ونقلت عن نيويورك تايمز بعد تحليل المؤتمر الصحفي المشترك لسلطة الانقلاب قولها: “أدلة الجيش لتبرير المذبحة ضعيفة”، وحاولت الصحيفة تغطية ردود الأفعال في الدول العربية والغربية.

نشير إلى أن هذا العرض يمثل فقط عينة من الإعلام المصري بشقيّه، وأن الأمر نفسه أجرته الموسوعة مع الإعلام العربي الإقليمي، والإعلام الدولي، وكذلك الإعلام الجديد الذي امتلأت وسائله، فيما يعرف بصفحات التواصل الاجتماعي (فيسبوك وتويتر وانستجرام وغيرها)، بمادة كبيرة دارت حول المذبحة وردود الأفعال نحوها على مستويات مختلفة، ومثلت ميدانا لمعركة متعددة الوجوه بين أنصار ثورة 25 يناير 2011 والمؤمنين بها والمتعاطفين معها من ناحية، وبين قوى الانقلاب وأتباعه وبعض المخدوعين بألاعيبها وألعابها المختلفة من ناحية أخرى. كما مثلت تلك الفضاءات تعبيرا عن مستويات عدة، مثل الاقتصار على متابعة الأخبار وإعلان المواقف المبدئية أو المترددة المائعة أو المتحفظة، وفي هذا الجانب رصدت الوثيقة قدرًا من التغريدات والتدوينات لسياسيين وأحزاب وصانعي قرار يمثلون ألوان الطيف في النخبة المصرية، وكذلك نماذج لعموم المصريين.

Introduction to the institution

The importance of scientific investigation and condensation of the narrative and documentation of this massacre lies in the large number of repercussions it had, whether in the number of martyrs, injured, and detainees, or in the reactions of the local and international community. Because it represented a clear political change in the course of the coup leaders’ dealing with the red lines of the January 25, 2011 revolution, transgressing all the taboos of the revolution, and daring to demolish its most important gains, which are the freedom of assembly, demonstration, and sit-in. “Awareness Foundation for Research and Development” is an independent scientific body that cares for all types of knowledge related to building individual and collective awareness. It is not limited to analyzing and anticipating the future in scientific, political, economic, and other issues, but rather makes history, documentation, monitoring, and blogging platforms a prominent axis of its launch. The driving motive for creating this ambitious project is an integrated, civilized institutional vision for humanity in the twenty-first century, a vision that seeks life in the best possible ways and raises the importance of the basic values ​​and principles common to human beings. The Foundation is committed to publishing facts and monitoring events, and in doing so it respects specialization, addresses issues objectively, takes into account intellectual diversity and natural difference, and recognizes the value of the human being who has been honored by his Creator and appointed as successor on earth. In doing so, it seeks to meet the need of society in its various segments to spread culture, awareness and understanding among the general public and not among the elite alone.

[1] It was a newly emerging newspaper that did not appear until after the revolution and the permission to establish parties without the guardianship of the security services, and only a few months had passed since its appearance.

[2]  They mean the famous phrase of the Brotherhood’s guide, Dr. Muhammad Badie, “Our peace is stronger than bullets”!!

[3] The name of the village of the martyr Mahmoud Rabie, who was martyred in the first massacre in front of the Guard House. It is a village affiliated with the Biba Center in the Beni Suef Governorate in southern Egypt, about 200 kilometers from Cairo.

[4] Footnote: The testimony of eyewitnesses and the video showed how this martyr, Mahmoud Rabie, was carried out by his family in the presence of the protesters in the Directorate Square in Beni Suef and then again in his town of Saft Rashin, amid angry chants against Sisi and against the coup plotters.

[5] This news was reported by many Arab newspapers, but after a while it turned out to be pure fabrication.

[6] This news was widely circulated in Arab newspapers with great imagination and mental impossibility. How could an attack by 200 armed Islamists – as described by the Arab newspapers supporting the coup – result in the fall of 60 of the same militants – according to the news’s title – when the battle took minutes!! We will discuss it when talking about coverage in Arab newspapers supporting the coup

[7] It was later revealed that they were groups of thugs and financiers in Tamarrud groups that were managed by hidden parties in the state agencies themselves and had accounts open in some banks from the countries sponsoring the coup and under the supervision of military personnel, as revealed by public statements by some of the founders of the Tamarrud movement (Mahmoud Badr) or by leaks attributed to Abbas Kamel, director of Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s office.

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