Today Al Shorouk Newspaper published the draft protest law prepared by the government aka ministry of interior which is also being reviewed now by interim president Adly Mansour. According to the articles published in the newspaper protesting will be officially an impossible thing in Egypt.
Among the interesting articles : You have not only to notify the ministry of interior with not only the time and place but also the number of the protesters expected to come 24 prior to the protest. I do not know how anyone will be able to tell the expected number of protesters !! The ministry of interior will then grant you the permission. Question : How anyone can predict the number of the protesters in any protest !!!
You also have to tell the ministry of interior the names of the organizers and their contacts as well the goals and demands of the protest.
The million dollars question is : Will the ministry of interior allow a protest against itself ?
In another article the minister of interior and other ministry's officials can cancel the whole event if it violates the conditions and terms the ministry listed in the law.
Of course the draft law bans sits in. It also bans protests and sits in nearly vital governmental institutions except after 100 meters like Presidency palaces , governmental offices , ministries, embassies , governorates and courts !! Just go to the desert and protest there !!I think Tahrir square is off limits for real according to this law.
For the record the law states that there will be a space in every governorate allocated for protests !!
From what we know there are voices inside the cabinet against the law , actually it is one and only voice : Dr. Ziad Bahaa El Din.
For the record Bahaa El Din allegedly warned the government of applying this law. Of course the social democrat politician can not stand against the deep state alone.
Anyhow outside the government there are some people who began to become vocal against the law.
Former presidential candidate Abdel Moneim Abu El Fotuh criticized it and attacked the current regime in Egypt because of it.
Ezzedine Choukri , the writer and diplomat also is against the law.
Did not know that the government had a political program or promises already.
MP Mostafa Al Nagar also condemned the new draft law in his official Facebook page today.
"The current protest law with its current form looks like a bastard child from Mubarak and Muslim brotherhood regime to join the temporary detention farce in an attack on freedoms. We want a law that organizes protests and not to ban protest, we want a law that criminalizes the murder of the peaceful protester not to legalize it, we want to widen the space of freedoms and not to tighten it up.We will bring down any law that can not be implemented for its unrealistic nature. The authorities should learn from the past mistakes and to respect themselves as well not to increase their enemies with their increasing stupidity."
Even the Pro-Sisi Pro-Military trials Tamaroud group is against the law for God sake !!
On Twitter the Pro-Revolution tweeps launched a hashtag Arabic "I_refuse_the protesting_law"
Ironically a similar protest law was drafted by the minister of interior in time of Morsi and was completely rejected by almost everybody, I do not know where "everybody" is now especially the liberal and leftist forces and icons !! Was the whole issue with those silent now that it would be issued during the time of the Muslim brotherhood's rule and was not about the oppression !? I fear part of the answer is yes , big yes.
The Pro-Military/Pro-Police state supporters think that Egypt needs this law to save it from chaos , of course they do not understand the lesson that popular revolutions and uprisings can not be stopped by laws when their time come. They do not want to understand unfortunately that they are giving up their right and the rights of children , what if their military savior turns in to another Omar El Bashir !? They speak about countries like UK and USA without realizing that these are developed democratic countries already not a country struggle for real to put its first step towards democratic transition.
I remember the days when all the Pro-Military Facebook pages and twitter accounts begging the people to go to the streets to protest on 30 June 2013. I remember Egypt's new idol Abdel Fatah El Sisi begging the people to go to the streets to mandate him and the army in order to fight the terrorism to the end of that talk. I do not know why protests were not that bad then !!
The stability of Egypt won't restored by banning sits in and protests but rather through true democratic civilian transition.
Among the interesting articles : You have not only to notify the ministry of interior with not only the time and place but also the number of the protesters expected to come 24 prior to the protest. I do not know how anyone will be able to tell the expected number of protesters !! The ministry of interior will then grant you the permission. Question : How anyone can predict the number of the protesters in any protest !!!
You also have to tell the ministry of interior the names of the organizers and their contacts as well the goals and demands of the protest.
The million dollars question is : Will the ministry of interior allow a protest against itself ?
In another article the minister of interior and other ministry's officials can cancel the whole event if it violates the conditions and terms the ministry listed in the law.
Of course the draft law bans sits in. It also bans protests and sits in nearly vital governmental institutions except after 100 meters like Presidency palaces , governmental offices , ministries, embassies , governorates and courts !! Just go to the desert and protest there !!I think Tahrir square is off limits for real according to this law.
For the record the law states that there will be a space in every governorate allocated for protests !!
From what we know there are voices inside the cabinet against the law , actually it is one and only voice : Dr. Ziad Bahaa El Din.
For the record Bahaa El Din allegedly warned the government of applying this law. Of course the social democrat politician can not stand against the deep state alone.
Anyhow outside the government there are some people who began to become vocal against the law.
Former presidential candidate Abdel Moneim Abu El Fotuh criticized it and attacked the current regime in Egypt because of it.
قانون منع التظاهروالاعتصام المزمع إصداره يحسم اﻷمرأمام كل متردد بأننا نواجه سلطة قمعية ليس لها مشروعية تستهين بحريات وكرامة وحقوق المصريين."The proposed law to ban protests and sits in settles the matter , we are in front of an oppressive regime that got no legitimacy underestimating the freedoms , dignity and the rights of Egyptians."
— عبدالمنعم أبو الفتوح (@DrAbolfotoh) October 17, 2013
Ezzedine Choukri , the writer and diplomat also is against the law.
مشروع قانون التظاهر يشكل انتهاكا لتعهد الحكومة الوارد في برنامجها السياسي بحماية حرية التعبير السلمي #قانون_التظاهر"The draft protest law is considered a violation to the government's promise in its political program to protect the freedom of peaceful expression"
— عزالدين شكري فشير (@EzzedineCF) October 17, 2013
Did not know that the government had a political program or promises already.
MP Mostafa Al Nagar also condemned the new draft law in his official Facebook page today.
"The current protest law with its current form looks like a bastard child from Mubarak and Muslim brotherhood regime to join the temporary detention farce in an attack on freedoms. We want a law that organizes protests and not to ban protest, we want a law that criminalizes the murder of the peaceful protester not to legalize it, we want to widen the space of freedoms and not to tighten it up.We will bring down any law that can not be implemented for its unrealistic nature. The authorities should learn from the past mistakes and to respect themselves as well not to increase their enemies with their increasing stupidity."
Even the Pro-Sisi Pro-Military trials Tamaroud group is against the law for God sake !!
On Twitter the Pro-Revolution tweeps launched a hashtag Arabic "I_refuse_the protesting_law"
Ironically a similar protest law was drafted by the minister of interior in time of Morsi and was completely rejected by almost everybody, I do not know where "everybody" is now especially the liberal and leftist forces and icons !! Was the whole issue with those silent now that it would be issued during the time of the Muslim brotherhood's rule and was not about the oppression !? I fear part of the answer is yes , big yes.
The Pro-Military/Pro-Police state supporters think that Egypt needs this law to save it from chaos , of course they do not understand the lesson that popular revolutions and uprisings can not be stopped by laws when their time come. They do not want to understand unfortunately that they are giving up their right and the rights of children , what if their military savior turns in to another Omar El Bashir !? They speak about countries like UK and USA without realizing that these are developed democratic countries already not a country struggle for real to put its first step towards democratic transition.
I remember the days when all the Pro-Military Facebook pages and twitter accounts begging the people to go to the streets to protest on 30 June 2013. I remember Egypt's new idol Abdel Fatah El Sisi begging the people to go to the streets to mandate him and the army in order to fight the terrorism to the end of that talk. I do not know why protests were not that bad then !!
The stability of Egypt won't restored by banning sits in and protests but rather through true democratic civilian transition.
The government is basically invalidating its own claim to legitimacy here. If protests and sit-ins are pretty much intolerable, then by what right did THIS government enter into authority? According to its own logic, it should have accepted Morsi and not expressed dissatisifaction with him.
ReplyDeleteThe government is in a major bind with this law. Pressing ahead in the face of the opposition will inevitably create new flashpoints with revolutionary movements, liberals, and others. Unless it changes direction, the suppression of freedom is going to erode support for the government until it achieves a fate like its predecessors.
The same MOI that served under the previous governments cannot claim that Tamarod is a MB institution. If Tamarod is claimed to be one, the one might as well claim that everyone and everything must be connected to that movement.
Believe it or not, this is similar to the protest laws in Sweden but I think the MOI have different motives for applying it in Egypt today.....
ReplyDeleteThat is, why I read your blog, Zeinobia!
ReplyDeleteYou differentiate and argue:
“The Pro-Military/Pro-Police state supporters think that Egypt needs this law to save it from chaos, of course they do not understand the lesson that popular revolutions and UPRISINGS CAN NOT BE STOPPED BY LAWS when their time come.”
“They speak about countries like UK and USA without realizing that these are developed democratic countries already not a country struggle for real to put its first step towards democratic transition.”
The articles criticized are common in democracies of Europe. And this law is practible for regular demonstrations, which normally are organized days or weeks before the demonstration. Police can secure peaceful people and avoid clashes or reduce clashes to a minimum.
What one can not know is, how the law will be used in future. Will it protect demonstrators? Or will it ban demonstrations? This will be decided by the administration of justice. So one has to trust in courts.
One has to differentiate spontaneous gatherings and demonstrations. The speech of a politician, an injustice of the police and the like can lead to spontaneous gatherings that can have the character of a demonstration. This can not be announced. But there is a short-term event, which give reasons for the gatherings. There must be exceptions to allow spontaneous gatherings.
But no judge will respect the ouster of Morsi as reason for spontaneous gatherings. The Friday demonstrations can not be prevented by this law, if demonstrators are peaceful.
So one can stay cool and you gave the reason: UPRISINGS CAN NOT BE STOPPED BY LAWS!
If the Deep State in the Western "democracies" (War Machine, Finance, Corporations) were challenged with the vigor of the Egyptian Revolution it would shoot us down too. Power is power is power. The police are skilled in primary control. If that control were breached the military would act. The Egyptian Authorities are keen to learn the oppressive skills of "the democracies".
ReplyDelete"I remember Egypt's new idol Abdel Fatah El Sisi begging the people to go to the streets to mandate him and the army in order to fight the terrorism to the end of that talk. I do not know why protests were not that bad then !!"
ReplyDeleteDo not you know really? It is because it was a state-run demonstration; something that you will never seen except in Egypt.
The protest draft law is very similar to that we have in Canada. Protest is meant to allow free reign to communicate and explain WHY opposing a given measure. It is not meant to allow the mob rule allowing some to paralyze the state, to terrorize the people and to destroy governments. This must be countered with a hand of steel and a hand of fire.
ReplyDeleteMy point precisely. And your "state" is in reality a deep state that no one elects, like the Army in Egypt. The elected representatives in Western "democracies" are powerless figureheads.
Delete