Interior Ministry has officially begun enforcing the controversial protest law, issued on Sunday.
Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim held a meeting with his deputies to consider ways of implementing the law.
The law requires the notification of the Interior Ministry before organizing demonstrations. Should the ministry reject, the organizers can resort to a judge of urgent matters. It does not require to place cordons around demonstrations, but sets fines for organizers without permission.
During the meeting, Ibrahim stressed the necessity of coordinating with governors in order to locate strategic security points around pivotal establishments like the presidency and parliamentary councils. They also tackled methods of dealing with protests staged without notifying security services.
The minister emphasized the importance of dealing strictly with any elements that use violence, block roads or hampers transportation means.
Security sources referred to instructions by the minister to act in a way that shows the state's strength when marches or protests are staged without notification. He also ordered coordination within information apparatuses and that protests or marches be banned if they threatened national security. He highlighted that any person who blocks roads or hampers transportation would be transferred to prosecution for trial.
Many opponents to the law have vowed to work towards its repeal. On Monday, Ahmed Maher, founder of the 6 April Movement, described the newly-issued protest law as ‘unfair’ and said it ‘will be broken.’
“Any constitution against principles of 25 January revolution will be dropped like what preceded it,” he said, adding that requests would be submitted to protest in front of the Interior Ministry, demanding the dismissal of both the defense and interior ministers.
In a Monday press release, the Strong Egypt Party, led by former presidential hopeful and defected Muslim Brotherhood leader Abdel Moneim Abouel Fotouh, said it will “work, along with all political and social groups that believe in a democratic and modern country, on repealing the law through constitutional and legal methods as well as a peaceful struggle on streets to freely express our opinion.”
