The Arabist

The Arabist

By Issandr El Amrani and friends.

More Protests Planned in Egypt

I was out last evening and speaking to a dear activist friend, who also is a key organizer for the Egyptian Popular Committee for Change.

We were talking about what was coming up on the Committee's schedule.
On Monday (21st February), The Popular Committee, Movement for Change, and the defunct/frozen Hizb al-Amal (Labor Party) are having a protest/demonstration at Cairo University. This is the third anti-Mubarak protest following the 12 December 04 (Highest Appeals Court, Downtown) and 4 February 05 (Cairo International Book Fair, Madinit Nasr).

Also, there is something planned for when the G-8 meeting convenes in the beginning of March to discuss the "non-foreign interference" version of the Broader Middle East Initiative and Arab Reform. I jokingly explained that I heard and read that US Sec of State Condi Rice was talking about not attending the Cairo proceedings given the ongoing case against Ayman Nor. In a moment filled with disappointment and anger directed at AFP, I was rhetorically asked, "So they think this is just about Ayman, what about the other 20,000 political prisioners?"

I also asked if the coming protests would be organized along the anti-Mubarak theme. I was told that "from here on out, it's all directed at Mubarak."

Things plan to heat up in Cairo. Stay tuned.....