Thursday, January 27, 2011

Egypt: Opposition plans another day of protests

Calm has returned, Wednesday 26 January morning in the streets of Cairo, after a day of unprecedented protests against President Hosni Mubarak, in power since late 1981. The streets have regained a normal appearance, and traffic is flowing in the city. But the movement of 6-April at the initiative of the events of Tuesday, which killed three people, called for a second day of mobilization.

On his Facebook page, the group of pro-democracy activists called on Egyptians to gather the vast Tahrir Square, Cairo, where 10 000 people, according to official figures had shown the previous day by chanting "the people want to start the regime. " "Everybody has to go on Tahrir Square to seize it again," the group wrote on his page.

"Continuing what we started on January 25th, we will take to the streets demanding the right to life, liberty and dignity," said in a statement on 6-April Movement, which calls for continued engagement "until 'that the Egyptian people's demands are met. " The Egyptian Interior Ministry said it would not allow any new event.

On the night of Wednesday, the police have used many fire tear gas to disperse thousands of protesters still on the square, located in the center of the capital and close to many official buildings. Furthermore Cairo - where protests have met a total of some 15,000 people according to official figures - parades were held in different provincial cities including Alexandria and Suez, despite a massive police presence.

According to experts, these anti-government protests were the largest since the riots of 1977 caused by an increase in bread prices. Across the country, protesters refers to the popular revolt that ousted mid-January, Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, after twenty-three year reign.

"Pain, freedom, dignity," some chanted, repeating the slogans of demonstrators in Tunisia. "Mubarak released!" cried others. Late Tuesday afternoon, the Ministry of Interior has called for "an end to these gatherings to avoid their impact on public order", accusing the Muslim Brotherhood of being behind the clashes in the capital.

The French foreign minister, Michele Alliot-Marie said on RTL, "deploring that there are fatalities, two of the protesters, one from the police." "We must be able to demonstrate without violence there, let alone the dead," she added. "It's not for France to make interference" but "our principles are principles of respect for the rule of law, non-intervention but also appeal that there has always more democracy and freedom in all states, "continued the minister, who was in Egypt on Saturday.

Asked about the parallels with Tunisia, the Minister stressed that "the situations are different in each country." However, in Egypt, "there is certainly a double (...) aspiration to greater well-being" and "freedom in different areas," she said. The United States has urged all parties to exercise restraint in Egypt.

"The Egyptian government has an important opportunity to meet the aspirations of the Egyptian people and to pursue political reforms, economic and social life can improve and allow Egypt to prosper," said the White House. "We are closely monitoring the situation in Egypt. The United States supports the fundamental right of everyone to freedom of expression and assembly," said Philip Crowley, the spokesman for the State Department in a statement.

"All sides should exercise restraint and we call on Egyptian authorities to treat these peaceful demonstrations," he added. Deputy Prime Minister of Israel, Silvan Shalom, meanwhile hoped that these problems would not affect relations between Egypt and Israel. "Israel is following events in Egypt (...) We all hope that the Egyptian authorities will grant freedom and rights to its citizens while remaining on track in maintaining good relations established with Israel for over thirty years" , Shalom said on public radio.

Egypt is the first Arab country to sign a peace agreement with Israel in 1979. "There is no doubt that the situation in Egypt is not simple," said Shalom. The Deputy Premier also felt that the current unrest in several Arab countries were not related to Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

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