January 25 Revolution and Police Day

Police Day remembers January 25, 1952, when British forces demanded that Egyptian police leave their Ismailia barracks and the policemen resisted; dozens were killed in the ensuing battle. The event became a symbol of opposition to British occupation. January 25 later became the opening day of the 2011 uprising, when large demonstrations demanded bread, freedom, social justice and the end of President Hosni Mubarak’s rule; Mubarak resigned on February 11 after eighteen days of nationwide protest.

The state calendar now joins Police Day and the January 25 Revolution on one anniversary, but their meanings can sit in tension. Official ceremonies honour police service and those killed on duty, while memories of 2011 include mass civic mobilisation, deaths and injuries, subsequent military and elected governments, and continuing disputes over policing, rights and the revolution’s legacy. A balanced account names both histories without treating all Egyptians as sharing a single political judgment.

Article 129 of Labour Law 14 of 2025 entitles private-sector workers to fully paid leave on official holidays designated by the competent minister. If work is necessary, the worker receives the ordinary wage for the day plus twice that wage, or—on a written request—a substitute day off. Ministry of Labour Decree 294 of 2025 lists the recurring paid holidays and permits the minister to move one to the beginning or end of the working week. Public employees are covered through the Prime Minister’s dated decisions. There is therefore no automatic weekend-substitution formula: the announced date for the year controls, while examinations and essential services may follow separately published schedules. For 2026 the government exercised its moving power and placed the leave on Thursday, January 29 rather than the Sunday anniversary.