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The protests continue to shake the Egyptian regime of President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi as anti-government protesters took to the streets in at least 16 different sites on Sunday amid increased security in the country ahead of anticipated demonstrations.
Videos circulating on social media showed protesters holding banners and chanting slogans calling on el-Sissi to resign. Others were seen setting a police car on fire and throwing stones at security forces. Dozens of people demonstrated in the al-Basateen district, a large neighborhood in southern Cairo, and in several surrounding areas. The protesters marched in Maadi, another large district that is home to embassies and foreigners, and in Madinat Nasr, a suburb of Cairo.
The country has stepped up security after former army contractor Mohamed Ali called anti-government protests to mark the anniversary of the 2019 mass protests. During the 2019 protests, Egyptian security forces arbitrarily arrested people and even killed some with the argument that they were armed. More than six people were killed by the security forces. The people were allegedly members of the Muslim Brotherhood. By labeling the group a terrorist organization, the el-Sissi regime has arrested, tortured and murdered thousands of people on the grounds that they were linked to the group. According to the Egyptian media, more than 1,200 people were arrested during the protests. However, Egyptian activists claim that the number is much higher, as there were hundreds of people arrested who were not searched by the police.
El-Sissi rose to power thanks to outside help and support after leading a bloody military coup in 2013 against Mohammed Morsi, the country’s first freely elected president who died suspiciously in June during a trial. Thousands of people rejected the army’s maneuver and demonstrated in the streets. Thousands of people died in Rabaa Square in one night on the grounds that the army had to disperse the protesters to preserve order. Since then, a harsh crackdown on dissidents has begun, not just the Muslim Brotherhood but all those who oppose el-Sissi.
Following the bloody coup, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) generously funded the new regime. Furthermore, the United States has not refrained from pledging support despite explicit human rights violations. US President Donald Trump, who previously called el-Sissi “his favorite dictator,” continues to support him. He also declared that el-Sissi was a “great leader” and “highly respected”. Other Western countries were also silent on massive human rights violations and oppression of civil society.
Egypt has long been criticized for its human rights violations, silencing dissidents and jailing thousands. Since 2015, the number of executions in Egypt has risen to an unprecedented level, according to rights activists who are concerned that more innocent Egyptians, many of them members of the Muslim Brotherhood, are being subjected to unjust executions.
