• 23:32
  • Thursday ,18 October 2012
العربية

Social justice protest planned for Friday in Egypt

By-Ahram

Home News

00:10

Thursday ,18 October 2012

Social justice protest planned for Friday in Egypt

 Several political groups and parties are calling for a mass demonstration on Friday under the slogan "Egypt for all Egyptians", to demand social justice and a constitution that "represents all Egyptians."

At a press conference on Tuesday, activists declared three demonstrations will march to Tahrir on Friday following afternoon prayers. The marches will start from the Mostafa Mahmoud Mosque in Mohandeseen, the district of Shubra, and the district of Sayyeda Zeinab.
 
Two marches will also be held on Friday evening. One will march from Tahrir Square to the Shura Council (Upper House) headquarters, where the constitution drafting body meets, to demand a representative constitution. The second will march to the presidential palace under the slogan "social justice."
 
"We oppose the takeover of the constitution by a single group, and we are against the recent attacks that targeted the demonstration held by disabled citizens…We demand that the new constitution represents those with disabilities," said well-known activist Ahmed Harara, who currently represents the disabled in the National Council for Human Rights, having lost both his eyes during protests.
 
On Sunday evening, Egypt's presidential guards reportedly attacked a sit-in held in front of the presidential palace by citizens with special needs, who were demanding to present their grievances to President Mohamed Morsi.
 
Speaking on behalf of the Constitution Party at the press conference, well-known political figure Gameela Ismail stated: "We do not accept forced restrictions on politics, whether through marginalisation [of political players] or through terror and violence," referring to the perceived Brotherhood domination of the Constituent Assembly and the clashes between protesters and groups reported to be Brotherhood sources in Tahrir Square last Friday.
 
Last Friday's saw violent clashes between Morsi supporters and protesters. While the demonstrations were initially called for by leftists and liberals to protest against what they perceive Morsi’s failure to deliver on his promises during his first hundred days in office, the Muslim Brotherhood issued a last minute call to their supporters to go to the square on the same day, ostensibly to protest the verdicts in the Battle of the Camel court trials.
 
Parties participating in the 'Egypt for all Egyptians Friday' include the National Association for Change, the Constitution Party, the Popular Socialist Alliance, the Democratic Front Party, the Egyptian Communist Party, the Popular Current, the Egyptian Socialist Party, the Tagammu Party, the Social Democratic Party, the Free Egyptians Party, the Conference Party, We are All Mina Daniel movement, the Revolutionary Socialists, the April 6 Democratic Front, the Independent Federation of Trade Unions, the Maspero Youth Union and others.