ABSTRACT
The Rabaa massacre represented a pivotal event for the contending players and a turning point for Egypt’s post-coup politics. After Rabaa, the anti-Mursi camp needed to rationalize the violence deployed against the protesters. It thereby unwittingly paved the way for an authoritarian restoration. At the same time, the victimized protesters were unable to abandon their unsuccessful claims to legitimacy. This precluded broader popular solidarity with those killed in Rabaa Square. The massacre also set the conditions for future protests: as the Anti-Coup Alliance defined itself in antithesis to coup forces, it responded not by adopting violent resistance, but by diversifying its contentious repertoire. This chapter thus exemplifies the conditioning effect of battles in the discursive arena on players’ protest performances and action strategies.
