The tensions were palpable last week as Cairo braced itself for a new wave of anti-government protests Sept. 27 spurred by online calls by exiled Egyptian construction contractor Mohamed Ali and other opposition activists for a "million man march" reminiscent of the 2011 uprising. But the mass gathering failed to materialize, thanks in part to a harsh security crackdown on dissent that in recent days has included a sweeping campaign of arrests, the biggest in the country since Abdel Fattah al-Sisi formally came to power as president in June 2014.

Instead, thousands of flag-waving Egyptians gathered in Cairo's eastern neighborhood of Nasr City at mid-afternoon on the day of the planned protests for a state-backed rally, expressing support for Sisi. State employees and other "supporters" from various provinces, the majority of them simple farmers and workers, "were pressured into attending and were ferried by buses to the site of the rally," a witness who published her account on Arabic Post said. Members of parliament were among those who mobilized for the large gathering, enticing people to attend with "food packages" and "monetary bribes," she claimed. 

While fear of arrest has been a prime factor preventing many from joining the protests, it is by no means the sole reason why many Egyptians have opted to stay away from the demonstrations. The majority of Egyptians are weary after years of political and economic turmoil; many fear that protests could undermine Egypt's stability. Egypt's pro-government media have capitalized on those fears, accusing "foreign entities" and "the terrorist Muslim Brotherhood" of fomenting unrest. The media have also pointed the finger at "foreign agents" and "traitors" inside the country, accusing them of helping the "evil Muslim Brotherhood" carry out its agenda of "destroying Egypt."

Talk show hosts have alleged that fake accounts on social media sites are behind the anti-Sisi hashtags that have trended online in recent days, including #Sisi_Leave and #Enough_Sisi.