Egypt is marking five years since the uprising that toppled longtime ruler Hosni Mubarak.

On the eve of the anniversary, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi paid tribute to the events of 2011, which ended Mubarak’s 30-year reign.

“Egypt today is not the Egypt of yesterday. We are building together a modern developed civilian state that upholds the values of democracy and freedom,” el-Sissi said in televised comments.

The protesters behind the 2011 uprising had hoped for a new era of reform and an end to repression. But some believe that the hopes of the revolution are now long gone.

“The 25 January revolution was a wonderful dream that we’ve sadly lost. We dreamt that Egypt would be better,” said one Cairo resident.

“I used to work in Aswan before the revolution and tourism was great back then. But after the revolution, everything changed and there was no work, so I came to Cairo to find work,” said boat owner Mazid Mohamed.

El-Sissi was elected in 2014 following the ouster by the military of Islamist President Mohammed Mursi

The government has been cracking down on street protests. A recent spate of arrests, coupled with stepped-up security in Cairo, are clear efforts to try to ensure that this anniversary is not marked by demonstrations or violence.

Euronews