Friday's demonstration will take place in Cairo's flashpoint Tahrir Square
Cario/Arish – Shadi Mohamed with Akram Ali
Egyptian political forces have gone out in protest aiming to "topple Muslim Brotherhood rule" and oust President Mohammed Morsi. Friday's demonstration will take place in Cairo's flashpoint Tahrir Square and
in front of the Presidential Palace in the capital's Heliopolis district.
Political parties who have refused to take part however include the liberal Al-Masriyeen Al-Ahrar Party, the Nasserite (following the socialist policies of Egyptian political icon Gamal Nasser) Al-Karama Party, the liberal Al-Wafd Party, and the April 6 Movement.
Dozens flocked to Gamal Abdel Nasser Mosque in Heliopolis where Friday protests in Cairo began, led by the former member of parliament Mohamed Abu Hamed against the "Brotherhoodisation" of the state .
There was a heavy security presence near the presidential palace in Heliopolis where the road leading to the presidential palace was closed.
The area was relatively calm however as the protesters stood on the sidewalk next to the podium and raised Egyptian flags.
Seven central security vehicles, a fire truck, two ambulances were deployed in the area, along with a number of the interior ministry officials.
The demonstrations will see the participation of the Tagammu party, the Union of Progressive Youth of Egypt, the Union of Egyptian Socialist Youth, the Progressive Women’s Union, the Christian Brotherhood and Egyptian Coptic Coalition.
Three marches started from Shubra to the podium with the participation of Maspero Youth Union, Christian Brotherhood and The Union of Revolutionary Youth, followed by the gathering of a number of demonstrators in Ain Shams up until the Federal Palace. Another gathering in Abbasiya Square began a march towards the podium, as part of the wider protests that come under a seemingly prolific slogan: "Down with the Guide's rule".
The Silent Majority March 19 movement in Ismailia has announced two rallies after Friday prayers from the Zahraa and Fire Mosques to demonstrate in front of the city stadium.
The movement said in an official statement that the peaceful protests would demand an investigation into the events of January 28 and 29 of 2011, two of the bloodiest days in Egypt's pro-democracy uprising that ousted former president Hosni Mubarak.
The Ismailia activists are also demonstrating against the "security chaos in the country" during that period while demanding a probe into the "dubious relationship" between Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood and Qatari intelligence. The movement will also protest in support of the freedom of opinion and expression in the media.
The call to protest was at first perceived as a feeble attempt by a former regime loyalist – Okasha – to make a comeback of sorts. It was quickly transformed into an anti-Brotherhood protest, however, when it was picked up by others whose fear of the Brotherhood was heightened after President Morsi retired Egypt’s military rulers earlier this month.
On August 12, Morsi not only removed Egypt’s military leaders, but also cancelled Egypt's June 17 constitutional addendum. Issued by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), the addendum had significantly curtailed the president's executive prerogatives. Calls against the Brotherhood have been vociferously criticised by both Islamist and revolutionary forces. The attacks, however, may have gone too far, say some, after Al-Azhar Sheikh Hashem Islam made statements that seemed to condone violence against those protesting Egypt's Islamist president.
"Whoever joins the August 24 uprising will stand in opposition to the January 25 Revolution," said Islam. "They will be committing high treason against their nation, God, his prophet and Muslims."
He added: "Stand up against them. If they fight you, fight them back… if they kill some of you, the martyrs will go to heaven; and if you kill them, this will be righteous."
Islam’s statements triggered an uproar among revolutionary circles.
Alaa Fayez, the coordinator of the movement in Ismailia, denounced the cleric and said they had distributed over a thousand flyers in Ismailia asking for widespread participation in the protests.
Prominent reform campaigner and Constitution Party founder Mohamed ElBaradei, for his part, responded to Islam's statements with fury. "If such religious clerics aren't put on trial, we will fall into the trap of fascist rule cloaked in religion," he declared on Twitter.
ElBaradei, who welcomed Morsi's move to end military rule in Egypt, nevertheless warned against leaving both legislative and executive authorities in the hands of the president. He also called for a new constituent assembly to be drawn up to serve as a temporary legislature until new parliamentary elections are held.
Fears of Brotherhood control over state institutions had been articulated earlier, when several Egyptian writers and journalists left their columns blank on August 9 to protest perceived attempts by the Brotherhood to control state-owned publications.
Activists also voiced alarm after several editors-in-chief were accused by Brotherhood lawyers of "insulting the president."
Parties that are protesting include the Egyptian Coptic Coalition, who have said they do not wish to topple President Morsi but seek to disband the Brotherhood. The National American Coptic Assembly and Coptic diaspora groups will also participate by organising protests and holding prayers outside Egyptian embassies abroad.
Mahmoud Hussein, the secretary-general of the Muslim Brotherhood said: “The group always affirmed is respect for the freedom of opinion and peaceful protests guaranteed to all Egyptians according to the constitution, while at the same time avoiding the harm of state institutions and establishments or private property or hindering people from their work. We work hard to raise awareness of civilised behaviour.”
The Muslim Brotherhood leadership held several meetings with its political branch, the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) to discuss the situation.
The organisation discussed plans to secure the Brotherhood's headquarters from an allegedly planned attack by the demonstrators.
The Brotherhood – along with other Islamist parties such as the Salafist al-Nour Party and the Jamaa Al-Islamiya – are reportedly planning its own counter-demonstration to coincide with Friday's scheduled anti-Brotherhood protest.
The Egyptian Ministry of Health announced that it had deployed 51 ambulances and six mobile clinics to the protest areas.The head of the Egyptian Ambulance Authority, Mohamed Sultan, said in a statement that 21 ambulances would be in Tahrir Square and Abdel Monein Riad, 10 in Abbasiya Square, a further 10 in Qaed Ibrahim Square in Alexandria and 10 ambulances in Arbaeen Square in Suez. Ten more ambulances are being deployed in front of the podium in Nasr city, Nasr road.Sultan pointed out that the alert level in surrounding hospitals had been raised, with necessary blood banks and medical supplies being stockpiled.
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All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©
Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©
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