Egypt's policemen breach anti-protest law demanding incentives

In defiance of Egypt’s anti-protest law which bans demonstrations without police approval; Egypt’s policemen have demonstrated in Cairo demanding higher salaries and incentives in an unprecedented incidence since the government passed the notorious law in November.

A judicial source said that about a hundred Police officers have received a permit to protest within the Police Club’s headquarters in Cairo to raise their demands to the officials but when no one cared to listen to them or meet any of them some of the protestors decided to violate the permit taking their protest to the street in front of the Interior Ministry in a desperate attempt to bring attention to their demands. The protest is reported to have lasted for a few minutes before an Interior Ministry official decided to go out and meet with them.

The policemen protest coincides with the Egyptian Criminal Court’s decision to set December 22 as the date for sentence hearing against three political activists who were the first to breach the anti- protest law which critics classify as suppressive to people right to demonstrate. The three activists are symbols of 25 January 2011 revolution which toppled former President Hosni Mubarak and among them Ahmed Maher co-founder of the April 6 Youth Movement.

Egypt’s interim President Adly Mansour has issued the notorious law in November setting conditions for demonstrations; including to present the authorities with an early notice. The law sets penalties and fines for those who violate the law.

Egypt’s political and youth forces have condemned the law and considered it as repressive to people’s right to demonstrate. The law has sparked demonstrations across the Egyptian cities and universities demanding to annul the law.