Egyptians Deeply Divided Over Law Restricting Public Protests

Source:
MEMRI
Date of source:
28 Jan 2014
Reference:
Introduction
On November 24, 2013, Egyptian Interim President 'Adly Mansour approved a bill for a protest law
submitted to him about a month previously by the government. The new law sets restrictions for
demonstrations and public gatherings, as well as protocols for security forces for dealing with
demonstrations.
The new protest law allows nonviolent demonstrations and requires citizens to announce all
demonstrations, gatherings, and marches three days in advance by filing an official request including the
details and purpose of the demonstration as well as information about the organizers. The law allows the
interior minister, or the security officer in charge on scene, to cancel a demonstration or change a march's
route if there is any concern for security or public welfare, and also requires that he set up a permanent
committee for every governorate that will be tasked with regulating and securing demonstrations and
dealing with demonstrations that become violent. Demonstrating and gathering in houses of worship is
banned, as are carrying weapons or explosives and wearing masks or otherwise concealing identity during
protests with the aim of committing a crime. In addition, the law sets out methods that security forces may
use for the "gradual dispersal" of violent protests, including water cannon, tear gas, clubs, smoke grenades,
rubber bullets and even live ammunition; defines "disrupting traffic" as an offense allowing security forces to
use crowd dispersal measures, and lists the penalties for those who break the law, which range from fines
to seven years in prison.
The protest law was approved at the end of the three-month state of emergency declared in August 2013
following the Muslim Brotherhood's (MB) and its supporters' violent clashes with security forces. The
clashes erupted as a result of that month's dispersal of the MB sit-ins at Rabaa Al-Adawiya mosque and AlNahda Square in Cairo, which resulted in hundreds of civilian deaths. In effect, the state of emergency in
the country since then had prevented the MB and its supporters from holding mass anti-regime
demonstrations and from continuing to protest against the July 2013 ouster of president Muhammad Mursi.
The new protest law may be aimed at anchoring these restrictions in law.
The approval of the protest law in November 2013 was accompanied by harsh criticism in Egypt that
developed into to protests and violent demonstrations. It is notable that criticism came not only from the MB
and other Islamic movements opposing the current regime, but also from civil youth movements that
supported the regime following the June 30 revolution, such as Tamarrud and the April 6 movement; the
latter are claiming that the law impinges on freedom of expression and is counter to democratic values.
The law was criticized outside Egypt as well. The U.S. State Department claimed that the law would harm
Egypt's democratic process; U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for amending the law and giving
citizens more freedom of expression; and the E.U. stated that the law would not lead to real and ongoing
security for the Egyptian people.
The Egyptian government announced that it was determined to implement the law and authorized the
security forces to implement it, while claiming that it respected both freedom of expression and the right to
protest within the confines of this law, which is meant to prevent freedom from becoming anarchy.
Recently, three political activists, two of them officials in the April 6 movement, were sentenced under the
new law to three years in prison for organizing an unauthorized demonstration and additional related
charges; this sparked additional criticism inside and outside the country. Additionally, as a result of the law,
the April 6 movement, once a supporter of the regime and the road map, has become a regime opponent.
This report will review the debate in Egypt on the protest law, as reflected in Egyptian press.
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