Egyptian police on high alert ahead of Jan. 25
Interior ministry unveils plan to tighten security nationwide
Egypt’s Interior Ministry unveiled on Wednesday a plan to tighten security around police stations and government buildings nationwide ahead of planned protests on Jan. 25 Revolution’s third anniversary.
The ministry said in a statement that central security forces will be deployed to guard in the interior ministry building, police posts, prisons and the surroundings of Tahrir Square.
Both Islamist supporters of ousted President Mohammad Mursi and Liberal activist groups have announced plans to demonstrate nationwide against the military-backed government.
The groups, once united against Hosni Mubarak, have been largely at odds with each other since Mursi took power in June 2012. The liberal groups backed the military ouster of Mursi on July 3, 2013, but many of them were later dismayed by the brutality of the new regime.
Some of them, including political activist and coordinator of the April 6 Movement, Ahmed Maher and activist Ahmed Doma, have been jailed for various charges, including illegal demonstration.
On Wednesday six members of April 6 Movement were arrested for distributing flyers calling for protests on the revolution’s anniversary.
They were arrested at Cairo’s Shohada Metro station and detained for nine hours before being released without charge, Ahram Online reported.
“If your message is that the revolution happened so only [Mubarak] regime figures and pro-military people have their freedom, then a third revolution is on its way because of your actions. Your oppression of the youth for merely distributing flyers is a clear invitation to rebel against your injustices,” the April 6 Youth Movement (Democratic Front) said in statement read.
“If calling for a gathering on the anniversary of the revolution is considered a crime then why aren’t media people and politicians who do the same being punished as well?,” the statement added.
A tense day
Saturday, the third anniversary of the 2011 revolt, promises to be a tense day.
Interim interior minister Mohamed Ibrahim has also called for demonstrations on that day to counter what he said was an Islamist “plot to spark chaos,” an unusual appeal from the top police official tasked with enforcing a law that restricts protests.
Mursi supporters have staged regular protests demanding his reinstatement despite a brutal government crackdown that has left more than 1,000 people killed since his ouster in July.
The alliance said the objective of its protests was to “end the military rule which has committed most if not all the awful and shameful crimes since January 25 2011 which peaked during the military coup” that ousted Mursi.
Mursi, Egypt’s first democratically elected president, was removed by the army on July 3 after mass protests against his year-long rule.
The alliance said its protests will be “non-violent... and peaceful”, but their rallies have often turned into street clashes with Mursi opponents and security forces.
(With AFP)
-
Dubai retailer MAF to invest $2.3bn in Egypt
MAF is the sole franchisee of Carrefour hypermarkets in the Middle East Retail -
Egypt ‘surprised’ by exclusion from US-Africa summit
U.S. officials said that Egypt was ineligible to attend because it is suspended from the African Union following the military's overthrow of Mursi Africa -
Egypt jails three for defacing memorial to protest dead
Egypt’s government erected the monument to commemorate those killed in the protests against Mubarak and Mursi Middle East -
Mursi backers calls for 18 days of Egypt protests
Saturday the 25th marks the third anniversary of the 2011 revolt, and promises to be a tense day Middle East -
Egypt’s MB leaders received VIP treatment at JFK
Muslim Brotherhood leaders were given ‘port courtesy’ treatment way before they took power in Egypt Middle East -
Egypt tourism revenues drop 41% amid 2013 violence
Unrest following overthrow of President Mohammad Mursi drives tourism revenues down to $5.9bn Economy -
Democracy in Egypt not just about the ballot box
Our first lesson from it is what we've tried to explain to the Islamists for so long: democracy is not only about ballot boxes Middle East -
Sisi ‘readies electoral agenda’ for Egypt presidential vote
He has been tipped to become the country’s next president and while he is yet to announce his nomination, speculation is rife Middle East -
Faking Egypt’s past: the Brotherhood and Jan. 25
The idea that the Brotherhood spearheaded the 2011 uprising is historical revisionism Middle East -
Egypt targets 4 to 4.5 percent growth next year, says minister
The country is targeting a 3.5 percent growth rate in the 2013-2014 fiscal year Economy -
Egypt sports minister threatens to resign
Abou Zeid is meeting on Sunday with Prime Minister Biblawi to discuss the matter Sports