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Youth movements demonstrate in central Cairo against anti-protest law

April 18, 2014 at 10:31 am

Hundreds of Egyptian political activists from a number of different youth movements organised a human chain in central Cairo on Wednesday, demanding for the interim government to abolish the controversial anti-protest law and release all political prisoners.


Several youth movements had previously announced that a week of activities would be taking place devoted to protest against the new law starting from Saturday and titled “the week to abolish the anti-protest law”.

The youth activists held banners reading “Freedom for prisoners”, “Free Egypt” and “Free the brave ones”, as well as photos of detained activists.

A member of the Revolutionary Socialists movement, Haitham Mohammadein, said: “The anti-protest law is a military decree which prevents demonstrations and denies the youth from claiming their rights.” He described the law as “curbing the revolution”.

Mohammadein pointed out that since the law was approved in November, nearly 1,037 Egyptians have been imprisoned merely for staging protests. He demanded that the military-backed government release them.

For his part, political activist Alaa Abdel Fattah stated that: “The revolutionary movements will look for new methods to escalate and put pressure on the regime until their demands are met and the law is abolished.”

Abdel Fattah noted that the protests will continue until next week, saying that a sit in for women will be organised on Tuesday outside the Federal Palace, east of Cairo, and a march will take place outside the presidential palace on the following Saturday.

Groups supporting the activities include the April 6 movement, the democracy front, the Revolutionary Socialists, the Way of the Revolution movement, the Egypt Strong Party, the Freedom and Justice Party, the Egypt Current Party and other resistance movements.

The Egyptian authorities claim that the law does not deny the right to demonstrate, but merely organises it by requiring any group that wishes to protest to notify the Interior Ministry in advance or face penalties ranging from imprisonment to paying a fine.