The Muslim Brotherhood’s website belittled the second Friday of Anger protest – staged yesterday in Tahrir Square – in a report that also criticized it for damaging the unity of the people and the army.
Several Brotherhood youth said they are disappointed at this response, saying it matches how the regime of former president Hosni Mubarak responded to protests.
The report, published Friday on the Brotherhood’s website, claimed there was “weak protester turnout”, that protesters split into two groups, and that their number did not exceed 5000. It said traffic flowed normally through Tahrir Square except at the entrance to Qasr al-Aini street where protesters installed a stage, and military police and the army were not present.
Youth from the group who participated in the protest said the website was not saying the truth.
Mohamed al-Qassas said people were chanting slogans against attempts to drive a wedge between the army and the people. He added that the website is not being neutral in its coverage. “I’m sad at the coverage. I don’t think that the group’s leaders would accept what is being published on the website.”
Hossam Yehia, a Brotherhood blogger, said the website reported false news, adding that there were large numbers of protesters in Tahrir. He said the website is speaking in the same tone as the Mubarak regime, which described the protesters during the 25 January revolution as “a handful of infiltrators”. He said the Brotherhood’s website is harming the group by such reporting.
Translated from the Arabic Edition
