Egypt

Pro-legitimacy alliance will stage protests without Interior Ministry permits: leader

A leader at the National Alliance to Support Legitimacy and Reject the Coup said Tuesday protests, staged under the slogan "Massacre of the Century" to commemorate Rabaa al-Adaweya and al-Nahda sit-ins dispersal, will be staged without a permit from the Interior Ministry.
 
"The alliance's decision is a message to the coup authorities that the law [regulating] protests is null," said Magdy Salem.
 
"We will not recognize laws that restrict freedoms and human rights," he added.
 
The Cabinet announced it would apply a recently-issued law to regulate protests starting Monday.
 
Marches will kick off from different mosques, excluding al-Fateh Mosque to avoid nearby security forces, Salem said.
 
Aimed at restoring order, Interim President Adly Mansour signed a controversial law on Sunday that restricts protests. 
 
The law requires the notification of the Interior Ministry three days before organizing demonstrations. Should the ministry reject, the organizers can resort to a judge of urgent matters. It does not require to place cordons around demonstrations, but sets fines for organizers without permission. 
 
The move has been criticized by human rights groups. On Friday, 19 Egyptian right groups issued a joint statement, saying the law restricts freedom of speech and peaceful assembly.
 
Many political parties, such as the 6 April Movement and the Strong Egypt Party, have already vowed to fight the law until its repeal. Tamarod said although the organization agrees with regulating protests, they stressed this law goes too far to restrict human rights.
 
 
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm

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