Kamal el-Fayoumi

Who is Kamal el-Fayoumi?

Kamal el-Fayoumi is an Egyptian socialist and workers' rights activist. He is a member of the Workers Democratic Party. He is possibly best known for his role as one of the leaders of the Egyptian general strike in 2008, when three strike leaders were arrested following anti-Mubarak regime riots. The three were later released from detention and given back their jobs, which was seen as a key victory for the El-Mahalla El-Kubra textile workers. Socialist and blogger Hossam el-Hamalawy called el-Fayoumi a "working class hero". El-Fayoumi also participated in the Egyptian revolution in 2011 as one of the leaders of workers who went on strike. After Mubarak's departure as President, el-Fayoumi declared: "All of us, as workers, said that the revolution began on February 11 when Mubarak left. When the head of the old regime stepped down, it was just the start of the revolution."