Egyptian police ban thousands of lawyers from demonstration supporting Iraq

The Egyptian security forces yesterday prevented thousands of Egyptian and Arab lawyers from demonstrating in protest of a US war against Iraq.

The police besieged intensively the conferences hall at Naser city quarters in Cairo where meetings of the Arab bar association were held.

However, the Bar association officials were intending to head for the headquarters of the Arab League by busses to protest against the threats to Iraq, but the soldiers blocked all openings of the conferences hall and prevented the lawyers from getting out ignoring their protest over this measure.

Meantime, marches of protest continued yesterday in several Egyptian universities against war. These demonstrations came at a time when Cairo is preparing to host the ordinary Arab summit on March 1st.

Worthy mentioning that the emergency law applied in Egypt since 1981 bans demonstrations and massive aggregations, however, the security forces often permit them inside the University complex confines.

In this regard, the Egyptian government submitted to the People's Assembly ( Parliament) a request of extending the emergency law for three years. In February 2000, the Egyptian parliament extended the emergency law for three years which will expire in May this year.