Egypt: Anti-Sisi Demonstrations In Matrouh.. Interior Ministry Claims Not Protests but a Brawl
Videos surfaced on social media last night, Monday, showing dozens of angry protesters in Marsa Matrouh governorate in northern Egypt. These videos highlighted citizens chanting slogans calling for the departure of the current president, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, rejecting his candidacy for a third presidential term. This came shortly after he announced his candidacy for the last time, in accordance with the constitutional amendments made in 2019.
In a statement this morning, Tuesday, the Ministry of Interior commented that the angry demonstrations seen in the recorded videos were the result of a brawl among some youth in one of the areas in Marsa Matrouh governorate, due to competition to take pictures with Libyan poets. This seemed to be a denial of the protests.
“Zawia3” verified the accuracy of the incident, comparing what appeared in the recorded videos with the official statement of the Ministry of Interior. It was confirmed that it indeed involved an assault on a single individual. The video’s publisher claimed it was an assault on a police officer, and it appears that the Ministry of Interior was referring to this specific incident in their statement.
On the other hand, we verified other circulated videos through multiple sources and confirmed their accuracy and matching with the written dates and locations (also coinciding with the promotional banners for Sisi’s candidacy for a third term and the gathering locations for the “October Victories” event hosted by the singer Ahmed Sha’aba). There were no instances of reused old videos or images among them.
What caught attention was that the protesters appeared to be under 20 years old, possibly due to school students gathering for celebrations. This contributed to a state of anger and protest that forced the police to attempt to disperse the demonstrations quickly. However, the protesters who gathered late last night on Alexandria Street near Marsa Matrouh General Hospital expressed their extreme anger at what they described as a “deception.” They were called to celebrate the anniversary of the October victories but were surprised to find it was a gathering to authorize President Sisi’s candidacy for a third term. This led to acts of rioting and the burning of pictures of Sisi and some promotional banners that seemed to be in support from some businessmen and the “Nation’s Future” party for Sisi’s candidacy.
President Sisi had announced his candidacy in the upcoming presidential elections after mobilizing a large number of school employees, laborers, students, and government workers in various squares across Egypt yesterday. The scene appeared as a new popular mandate to demand his candidacy.
Last Sunday, “Zawia3” received an audio recording sent by an official from the administration of the Giza educational district to school directors in the Giza governorate via a WhatsApp group. The recording, sent last Saturday, shows the official giving instructions that everyone should head on Monday, October 2nd, to the Giza administration at 12:30 PM. From the administration, they will proceed by buses at 1:00 PM to Al-Saeedia School in Giza.
The official stated, “Each school will bring a bus, and we will gather to support Mr. President. We gather to support Mr. President. Each bus will depart from in front of the school after the school day ends, heading to the administration, and from there to Al-Saeedia. We will have banners with the school’s name and flags. We will all be active in supporting Mr. President in the upcoming electoral period. Thank you, and happy new academic year.”
In another message sent today to the same group to confirm the previous voice message, the official said, “Based on the instructions of the administration director in the previous meeting, all employees are notified to attend the march tomorrow, Monday, October 2, 2023. No excuses are allowed. The gathering is at 1:30 PM, not 1:00 PM, in front of the administration, and then moving to Al-Saeedia School in Giza. The march will be photographed, and then we will proceed to Al-Jalaa Square and return afterwards. The dress colour should be white, as some administrations will wear black, and others will wear red.”
The official concluded her messages, confirming that this is not a threat: “Anyone who wants to go is welcome, and those who do not want to go will be listed as absent, whether they go or not. The lists will be signed with the name and national ID. The lists will be submitted to the administration, which will hand them to the directorate, as there are strict security follow-ups regarding this matter.”
Analysts say Sisi retains the backing of the security services, most importantly the army, which has become more powerful and expanded its economic influence.
Sisi’s presidency has been marked by a crackdown on dissent across the political spectrum.
Sisi and his backers said the measures were needed to bring stability after the 2011 ousting of former president Hosni Mubarak in the “Arab Spring” uprisings and pave the way for economic development.
Activists say tens of thousands have been jailed since 2013, often without fair trials, and that the crackdown has continued despite the pardoning of some high-profile prisoners and the launch of a national political dialogue.
