Sunday, April 7, 2013

April 6: Anniversary or a new start?

 March
Clashes went on untill late Saturday night at the High Court in Cairo (Photo: Dan Tookey/ Ahram Online).

The April 6 Movement, one of the movements that were instrumental in organizing the beginning of the January 25 revolution in Egypt, yesterday celebrated its fifth anniversary. Zeinobia, one of my favorite Egyptian bloggers, wrote the following lines full of hope for the occasion  (However, the demonstrations ended in clashes with the securioty forces - see for that below)   
 Zeinobia:
Today is April 6 , it is the anniversary of a great political and social event that many believe to be the real introduction for 25 January Revolution : The April 6 Strike in Mahalla and rest of Egypt especially in Cairo.
Today the April 6th Youth movement is celebrating this day with its two fronts in its own way : Protesting against President Morsi and the Muslim brotherhood. In another words to bring down the regime once again.
In Cairo and Giza there will be at least four rallies organized by April 6 : Shubra roundabout and Siyada Zeinab square “Cairo” and Mostafa Mahmoud square and Imbaba “Giza”. I do not know to where these rallies will head up till now. Most probably to Tahrir square. These rallies should start at 4 PM but from what I see in Cairo the April 6th Youth Movement members are starting early and are having small stands in different areas whether in Downtown at the Stock market or the presidential palace.
There will be other rallies in other governorates and cities like in Alexandria,Damietta,Mansoura,Suez and Mahalla.
Other parties and movements are participating in the rallies too like Free Egyptians Party.
The main demands of these rallies according to the statement of the movement issued on Thursday is to dismiss this government, to dismiss the prosecutor general, to release all the detainees of peaceful protesting and political opinion, and to restructure the Ministry of the Interior.
Egypt Independent reported on Sunday that:
At least 44 people were injured in clashes that took place in Cairo, Fayoum and Gharbiya Governorates during protests called by the April 6 Youth Movement, the Ministry of Health announced on Sunday. Violence broke out between security forces and protesters in several places, including in front of the High Court in Cairo. State-run news agency MENA quoted the ministry’s director for emergency care, Khaled al-Khatib, as saying that 19 of the injuries that took place in Cairo occurred at the court. On Sunday clam returned to Cairo, and also at the Mahalla Police Station, Shoun Square and Bahr Street in the city of Mahalla, which was rocked by similar protests after protesters reportedly tried to break into the police station with rocks and Molotov cocktails and police responded with tear gas.

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