“The people of Egypt have spoken. Their voices have been heard. And Egypt will never be the same. … Egyptians have inspired us and they’ve done so by putting the lie to the idea that justice is best gained through violence. For in Egypt it was the moral force of nonviolence — not terrorism, not mindless killing — but nonviolence, moral force, that bent the arc of history toward justice once more. And while the sights and sounds we heard were entirely Egyptian, we can’t help but hear the echoes of history.”

President Obama

 

“In their eyes, you can see what power freedom can have.”

German Chancellor Angela Merkel

 

“Your movement provides an inspiring, visionary example of disciplined nonviolent resistance to oppression, and my prayers and the prayers of people of good will all over the world are with you as you strive to create a vibrant democracy in Egypt.”

Martin Luther King III

 

“This is the popular demonstration that proves any leader can be toppled. For all the other rulers in the region, it’s a very sobering moment.”

Eugene Rogan, director, Middle East Center, St. Antony’s College in Oxford

 

“Egypt has a special place in the hearts of … all Arabs. People are calling each other, visiting, some people are so happy they are crying.”

Mohammed Abu Rouman, columnist and professor at the University of Jordan

 

“This is going to have a great impact on our situation. … The Egyptian people want to have more solidarity with Palestinians and are against normalization of relations with Israel until first giving Palestinians their freedom. With democracy in Egypt, the will of the people will have to be respected.”

Mustafa Barghouti, Palestinian lawmaker

 

“One can’t escape the symbolic importance of this day and the release of (Nelson) Mandela (on this date 21 years ago) and how that ushered in a new process for South Africa. … Let’s hope this happy coincidence will also one day make the Egyptian people look back and say this indeed was the beginning of better times in Egypt.”

Ayanda Ntsaluba, South Africa’s foreign affairs department

 

“The repressive system that Egyptians have suffered under for three decades has not gone away and the state of emergency remains in place.”

Amnesty International’s Secretary General Salil Shetty