Military deploys forces nationwide ahead of Monday protests

[DJKeefy]

Egypt's military deploys forces nationwide ahead of Monday protests.

Egypt's military said on Sunday that it is deploying forces to secure major public buildings on Monday, which has been set by activists as a date for protests over the recent Saudi island deal.

The army said in a statement that its forces will be deployed around “vital targets and major institutions,” adding that security patrols and military police forces will be stationed in major areas nationwide.

A government decision this month to cede control to Saudi Arabia of the Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir, near South Sinai, sparked protests on 15 April, with thousands of demonstrators protesting near Cairo's press syndicate.

The protests, believed to be the largest demonstrations since President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi took office in 2014, saw the arrest of dozens of people, many of whom were released later in the day.

The island deal has not yet been approved by parliament.

Monday marks Sinai Liberation Day, when Egypt regained control over the Sinai Peninsula in 1982 after years of Israeli occupation.

The army has posted several photos of queues of military vehicles in the streets as well as forces at what appeared to be a military base.

The army added that its air and naval forces will take part in celebrations marking Sinai Liberation Day, with performances planned across the country's governorates. Military ensembles will put on musical performances of patriotic pieces.

Egypt’s acknowledgement of Saudi sovereignty over the Red Sea islands has sparked widespread public outcry, with some critics accusing President El-Sisi of "selling" the islands.

Egyptian and Saudi officials say the islands belong to the Gulf kingdom and were only under Egyptian control because Riyadh had asked Cairo in 1950 to protect them.

Egypt's interior ministry has warned ahead of Monday's planned proteststhat it would show no tolerance for attempts to “undermine the country's security,” urging people not to respond to "calls inciting chaos."

Source: http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/204348.aspx

[Major Thom]

I did not hear of any trouble in the end, so all must have been hunky dory and peaceful, thank goodness.

[HEPZIBAH]

I did not hear of any trouble in the end, so all must have been hunky dory and peaceful, thank goodness.

Did you have your earplugs in and blinkers on again?

Egyptian campaigners say around 240 arrested over Monday protests

An Egyptian activist group tracking protester arrests said that 239 people were arrested around Egypt on Monday, a day that saw anti-government protests in the capital and several other cities.
Freedom for the Brave, a group of human rights lawyers who document political detentions and provide detainees with legal assistance, published a list of the names of the detainees on its Facebook page on Tuesday.

It said in an earlier post that some of those arrested have been released, some remain in detention, and the whereabouts of others are unknown.

No official number of those arrested has yet been provided by Egypt's interior ministry,

Rights lawyer Moktar Mounir, of the Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression, said several lawyers acting on behalf of those arrested were barred from three police stations in central Cairo and Giza on Monday where the detainees were being questioned by State Security investigators.

Khaled El-Balshy, an elected press syndicate official, told Ahram Online that 43 journalists had been arrested on Monday. Most have subsequently been released.

The press syndicate in a separate statement said that three journalists had been assaulted during the days events; it also condemned attempts to storm the syndicate's headquarters by what it said were security "thugs."

A number of demonstrations were held on Monday to protest a recent decision by Egypt to acknowledge Saudi Arabia's sovereignty over the two Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir. Police fired teargas to disperse the protests.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/204446.aspx

Dozens protesting Red Sea island deal dispersed with teargas in Cairo
Egyptian security forces used teargas to disperse dozens of protesters in Cairo's Dokki district at a demonstration against the government's recent agreement acknowledging Saudi sovereignty over two Red Sea islands under Egyptian control.

This was reportedly the only protest in Cairo on Monday that was not pre-emptively thwarted by security forces.

An Ahram Online reporter on the scene says security forces arrested some of the protesters.

Earlier in the afternoon, the "Egypt Not For Sale" campaign, which has been mobilising over the agreement in the last two weeks, moved its planned protest site from downtown Cairo to Giza's Dokki in order to dodge police lockdown of the area.

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent ... ed-wi.aspx


Seven Egyptian journalists remain in detention after Monday protest arrests: Syndicate
The board of Egypt's press syndicate will hold an urgent meeting on Tuesday to discuss what they say are violations committed against journalists during Monday's protests

Seven journalists remain in detention on Tuesday after being arrested the previous day while covering anti-government protests, according to the Egyptian Journalists Syndicate.
"As far as we know seven journalists are still being detained by security forces," Khaled El-Balshy, the head of the syndicate’s freedoms committee told Ahram Online Tuesday morning.

Over 200 people were arrested across the country at demonstrations against the decision to acknowledge Saudi Arabian sovereignty over two Red Sea islands, according to rights campaigners. Security forces dispersed the demonstrations, including a rally in the Cairo district of Dokki, with teargas.

El-Balshy said that 43 journalists had been arrested in total on Monday during the 25 April protests against the Egyptian-Saudi deal to redraw maritime borders; most had been released by the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Five of those detained by security forces were foreign. Among them were French freelance journalist Jenna Le Bras, Danish freelance journalist Stefan Weichert, and Norwegian freelance journalist Harald Christian Hoff.

All detained foreign journalists had been released by Tuesday morning.

Among the local journalists detained on Monday during the protests were producer Mohamed El-Sawy and journalist Basma Mostafa from Dot Masr news website, reporters Ahmed El-Bardini and Mohamed Magdi of Al-Shorouk newspaper, correspondent Omar Abdel Nasser of ONA news agency, and reporters Hadi El-Desouki and Yahia Morsi of Al-Akhbar newspaper.

Syndicate ‘attacked’

According to a statement issued by the syndicate on Monday, Sisi supporters attempted to storm the syndicate building in central Cairo several times.

Members of the syndicate reported that they were barred from entering the syndicate building, a planned focal point for protests, as security forces had sealed off the surrounding streets to protesters.

Pro-Sisi demonstrators were however allowed to gather and celebrate Sinai Liberation Day, which fell on Monday, outside the syndicate building.

The syndicate board will hold an urgent meeting on Tuesday to discuss the violations committed against journalists as well the reported attacks on the syndicate's headquarters.

The syndicate also called on the prosecution to investigate all violations committed against journalists and photographers on Monday.

The US-based Committee to Protect Journalists issued a statement on Monday criticising the detention of journalists and photographers during the protests and calling on the Egyptian government to release them all immediately.

CPJ has repeatedly criticised the detention and jailing of journalists in Egypt, describing the country as “one of the worst jailers of journalists.”

Egyptian authorities have repeatedly stated that no journalists have been targeted for their work, and that those in jail have been convicted of crimes under Egyptian law.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent ... n-aft.aspx

[Major Thom]

Still did not hear anything Hepzi, not even on Nilesat News International. Thank for sharing though.

[Hafiz]

Major Thom is benefiting from the new media 'arrangements' which are clearly working well.

He says 'hunky dory', I say 'fiddling whilst Rome burns'.

[newcastle]

I suppose 'hunky dory' was meant to refer to what actually happened on the day.....very little by all accounts.

The authorities might be able to suppress what is reported on the TV and in newspapers but we'd have surely heard via social media if there was much turmoil on the streets.

The security services seem to have been successful in rounding up many activists and cowering others, although for how long is anyone's guess.

From the people I talk to here I sense great discontent, but, at this stage, still a preference for stability over open revolt.

In the absence of any organised opposition, with credible leadership, the Sisi show could run and run....IMO

[Hafiz]

Newcastle: Without leadership and organization resentment and grievance will go no-where. By way of contrast, think of the lead up to the French and Russian 'purifications' and the organization and leadership that created these.

A properly elected Egyptian leader would make sure that any union. youth or liberal leaders were suitably starved of food, water and political oxygen so that only Italians would notice them, or notice their medical absence.

[Major Thom]

Was not our leader and the Parliament democratically elected? I seem to remember people going to the polls to vote for a new leader and a new parliament.