Egypt tightens security ahead of protests

A state of emergency has been declared in Egypt ahead of planned protests as part of the “revolution of the poor”.

President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi has come under pressure recently as a result of the increasing living costs and the economic turmoil which the country is facing leading to calls for a new revolution. Central security and anti-riot vehicles have mobilised on the streets today, security personnel have also been deployed.

Authorities have banned people from carrying pictures of Al-Sisi in Tahrir Square irrelevant of whether the pictures show him in a good or bad light.

Forces have cordoned off roads and train stations.  Army outposts have been installed in and out of Cairo as well as main squares and streets and tightened security at prisons and banks.

One of the train stations which is closest to Tahrir Square, Sadat, has also been closed following orders of security officials, Ahmed Abdul Hadi, the spokesman for the train company said.

Over the last couple of days, raids were carried out in downtown Cairo in an attempt to arrest “terrorists”. Social media users said the raids targeted them specifically, with officials examining their computers and their mobile phones.

The Ministry of the Interior held a number of meetings with parliamentarians ahead of the planned protests which come as a result of government moves to comply with terms of the International Monetary Fund in order to obtain a $12 billion loan. Steps taken by the regime include floating the pound which has fallen from approximately five Egyptian pounds to the dollar during the reign of ousted dictator Hosni Mubarak, to over 16 today.