Egyptian police confines to observing demonstrations of the opposition
Egypt, Politics, 6/24/2005

In a situation which is unique of its kind, the Egyptian government permitted opposition members, who oppose renewed presidency for the Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, to express their position in an demonstration they had organized in Shebra quarters in the north of Cairo without the intervention of the security forces.

While some 300 persons responded to the call of the people's movement for the sake of the change "Kefayeh" (enough) to take part in a peaceful demonstration in the residential quarters which is populated by 7 million inhabitants, the central security forces which are known for toughness with the demonstrators remained apart at an enough distance from the protestors who chanted slogans against the Egyptian president and the ruling national party. The demonstrators chanted slogans like "down with Mubarak" and "Hay Jamal tell your father that all Egyptian people hate you," in remarks to the son of the president.

The demonstrators walked for 400 meters in a main street and then returned back, while many people stood to watch them on windows in the populated quarters of the buildings.

Contrary to earlier demonstration to which the police responded violently and detained several demonstrators, the police this time confined to organizing the demonstration and preventing its obstruction of the traffic. The police also did not prevent people from joining the demonstration.

The organizers of the demonstration linked the absence of riot-fighting security men to the visit held on Monday by the US secretary of state Condaleezza Rice, who criticized the government over violence in dealing with the demonstrators.

On the other hand, another smaller group carried out a demonstration supporting President Mubarak, chanting slogans supporting the president.

Previous Stories:
  People's Assembly approves political rights practice law   (6/23/2005)
  Abul-Gheit: Egypt sheds light on unity of Iraq   (6/22/2005)
  Rice calls for free elections in Egypt, meets opposition figures   (6/21/2005)
  Agreement between Sudanese government, northen opposition   (6/17/2005)

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