ABSTRACT
The 1968 protests began on February 21, after the military high court ruled in the case against senior air force officials deemed to bear responsibility for the military's dismal performance in the war. The protests began with munitions factory workers in Helwan, who were soon joined by workers in other factories throughout the industrial town. The local police station mobilized in response, attacking the protesters in the streets, injuring many of them. The following day, university students launched protests from their campuses, pouring into the streets of Cairo, Alexandria, and several other cities across Egypt in solidarity with the workers in Helwan. Indeed, examining the 1968 protests offers a new lens through which to view an important era in modern Egyptian history. In fact, Egypt's subsequent shift under Anwar al-Sadat was a direct outcome of developments during the late Nasser era, including the return of a vibrant student movement and the gradual dismantlement of a national and regional project.
