Egyptian Protesters Call For 'Downfall Of Regime' After Saudi Island Deal
The chants of the 2011 revolution are back on the streets of Cairo.
Ahmed Aboulenein and Eric Knecht
CAIRO (Reuters) - Thousands of Egyptian protesters angered by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's decision to hand over two islands to Saudi Arabia called on Friday for the downfall of the government, chanting a powerful slogan used in a 2011 uprising.
Sisi, who once enjoyed widespread support, has faced mounting criticism in recent months, including over his management of the economy.
Advertisement
"The people want the downfall of the regime," the protesters yelled outside the Cairo press syndicate, using the same phrase heard during the 2011 revolt against president Hosni Mubarak who later stepped down.
They also chanted: "Sisi Mubarak", "We don't want you, leave" and "We own the land and you are agents who sold our land."
Woman outside Press Synd: "Those islands are just the tip of the iceberg, everything else is also wrong in Egypt" pic.twitter.com/J4juAOdj8M
Sisi's government announced last week the signing of a maritime demarcation accord that put the uninhabited Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir, which lie between Saudi Arabia and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, in Saudi waters, prompting an outcry in Egyptian newspapers and on social media.
Advertisement
Saudi and Egyptian officials say the islands belong to the kingdom and were only under Egyptian control because Saudi Arabia had asked Cairo in 1950 to protect them.
In other parts of Cairo, police fired tear gas at protesters, security sources said.
A Reuters witness said a crowd was dispersed and riot police had taken control of an area outside a mosque in the Mohandiseen district of the capital. Four people were arrested, the security sources said.
Tear gas was also fired in the Giza area outside Cairo, dispersing about 200 people, security sources said.
Critics say the government has mishandled a series of crises from an investigation into the torture and killing of an Italian student in Cairo to a bomb that brought down a Russian airliner in the Sinai last October.
Many Egyptians, eager for an end to the turmoil triggered by the 2011 uprising against Mubarak, enthusiastically welcomed Sisi when he seized power from the Muslim Brotherhood in 2013 after mass protests.
As military chief, Sisi toppled Egypt's first freely elected leader, and then went on to become president on promises of stability after launching the fiercest crackdown on dissent in modern Egypt's history.
Egyptians turned a blind eye as Islamists and other opponents of the government were rounded up, swelling prisons to about 40,000 political detainees, according to estimates by human rights groups.
Advertisement
But a growing number of Egyptians are losing patience over corruption, poverty and unemployment, the same issues which led to Mubarak's downfall, while Sisi has appeared increasingly authoritarian in televised speeches.
"We want the downfall of regime. We have forced disappearances, all the youth are in jail. I just got out of jail a year ago after two years inside," said Abdelrahman Abdellatif, 29, an air conditioning engineer, at the press syndicate demonstration.
"The youth of the revolution are still here. We are not gone. We want stability but that doesn't mean sell our land and kill our youth. We are experiencing unprecedented fascism and dictatorship."
Mada Masr reporter: Central Security Forces are blocking the entrance to Ramses Street. pic.twitter.com/2OJ2bCgCtR
There were also Sisi supporters, such as a woman with a shirt with an image of the former military intelligence chief on it.
Advertisement
In Alexandria, around 500 people gathered near a railway station. Meanwhile 300 Sisi supporters holding up photographs of him protested outside a mosque in the port city.
Calls for protests have gathered thousands of supporters on Facebook, including from the outlawed Brotherhood, which accused Sisi of staging a coup when it was ousted and rolling back freedoms won after hundreds of thousands of Egyptians protested five years ago in Cairo's Tahrir Square against Mubarak.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.