Egypt faced new anti-government protests on Friday

Egypt's anti-government protests

Egypt faced on Friday, 22 February 2013, a few anti-government protests nationwide with the sit-in still continuing in Cairo in front of the Presidential Palace.

The demonstration against the Muslim Brotherhood’s and Mohamed Morsy’s rule has been planned by the country’s oppositional and revolutionary forces before with several political parties, groups and organizations planning to attend the rallies. Those parties and groups include Arab Revolution Youth Movement, April 6^th Youth Movement, Revolutionary Youth Coalition, Constitution Party and especially it’s youth members, Free Front for Peaceful Change and others.

The demonstrations started in Egypt’s capital Cairo after Friday noon prayers and headed from several downtown districts to Cairo’s Tahrir Square and Presidential Palace in Heliopolis, where the oppositional sit-in still continues.

Hundreds of demonstrators protested against the so called “Brotherhoodisation” of Egypt in front of the Presidential Palace claiming Muslim Brotherhood and the President, who hails from its ranks, are trying to usurp the power in the country controlling all the governmental bodies. They also accused Muslim Brotherhood of the “crimes against Egyptians” referring to the deteriorating economical, political and social situation in the country, insecurity and injustice and oppression of the oppositional and revolutionary forces. It’s worth mentioning that the military trials imposed on civilians haven’t been stopped during the Morsy’s rule, and even since the beginning of the protests and clashes commemorating the anniversary of Egypt’s January 25 Revolution hundreds of people have been arrested and detained, with some of them also tortured and allegedly killed.

Egyptians protesting against the current regime

The Protesters thus demand that Mohamed Morsy and his political power to be held accountable for all those crimes. Some of the demonstrators call for Morsy to step down.

There have been also the protests in front of the building of Cairo’s Hugh Court with the protesters demanding the dismissal of the current Prosecutor General appointed by Morsy and the immediate release of all political prisoners.

Some clashes took place during the protests as the people have been throwing the stones, so the Central Security Forces have been responding to them trying to disperse the crowd with the water.

The protests and civil disobedience action continue also in Egypt’s Canal cities (Port Said, Suez, Ismailiya) where the state of emergency and curfew has been imposed by the government. Canal cities protests against the rule of the current government and against the long times neglecting of this region and its problems.

Egypt’s Port Said has also faced bloody clashes at 26 January after the trial verdict in the case of terrible football tragedy happened last year as several local fans have been convicted and received death penalty verdict. People in Port Said are demanding the dismissal of the Prosecutor General and call also for appointing the new independent investigation’s team in the case of Port Said football massacre.

Protests in Egypt

Meanwhile Egypt’s coastal city of Alexandria faced relatively modest protests as a lot of political parties and groups announced their withdrawal from the demonstrations after some protesters have been chanting for the military rule and called Egypt’s military to intervene in order to resolve the current political crisis in the country.

Thus after Egypt’s President has announced the date of the upcoming parliamentary elections and the Shura Council (Parliament’s Upper House) declared the amendments will be imposed on the electoral law, the protests still continue in the country, and the situation remains tense.