ABSTRACT
The nationalist discourse that accelerated Al-Sisi’s ascension to power, at the same time, placed him and his supporters in a cage, forged of commitments to national security. This became visible when the transfer of two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia revealed the disparities between official policy and discourse and gave rise to a new contentious player in the shape of a protest campaign against the island deal. Through this campaign, nationalist activists held a mirror up to the authorities and undermined the official legitimization of repression. In doing so, they reshaped the post-coup protest arena and created new windows for mobilization. This chapter thus demonstrates how players can harness the emotional dimensions of established discourse for alliance building and mobilization under the most repressive conditions.
