Egypt: Protests and clashes enter second day
22 September 2019
Egypt has seen a second night of clashes and dozens of arrests in rare demonstrations against President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi. About 200 demonstrators took to the streets in the port city of Suez demanding his resignation. Dozens were reportedly arrested and police responded with tear gas. The protests - which also took place in Tahrir Square in Cairo on Friday - are in response to corruption allegations against President Sisi's government. Mr Sisi has dismissed the allegations as "lies and slander". Protests have been extremely rare under President Sisi, who took power in 2014 after he led the military's overthrow of Egypt's first democratically elected president Mohammed Morsi. But anger has spread since an Egyptian businessman and actor, Mohamed Ali, posted a series of videos online accusing the country's leader of wasting millions on luxury residences and hotels while millions of Egyptians lived in poverty. Egypt has pursued a policy of economic austerity in recent years. Hundreds filled Tahrir Square - a key site of the 2011 Egyptian uprising - late on Friday shouting "Sisi out", while demonstrations also took place elsewhere around the country. At least 74 people were arrested, AFP news agency reported. There is no official confirmation. Around 200 Egyptians took to the streets in Suez, which had seen protests on Friday, too. There were clashes, with police firing tear gas and arresting dozens of protesters. "There were about 200 or so people. They (security forces) fired tear gas, rubber and live bullets and there were injuries," one man, who took part in the protests but declined to be named, told AFP. Videos posted on social media show demonstrators calling President Sisi "the enemy of god". On Saturday, Mr Ali upped the ante, calling on Egyptians to join a "million-man march" next Friday and to fill all "major squares" of the country.
Around 200 Egyptians took to the streets in Suez, which had seen protests on Friday, too. There were clashes, with police firing tear gas and arresting dozens of protesters. "There were about 200 or so people. They (security forces) fired tear gas, rubber and live bullets and there were injuries," one man, who took part in the protests but declined to be named, told AFP. Videos posted on social media show demonstrators calling President Sisi "the enemy of god". On Saturday, Mr Ali upped the ante, calling on Egyptians to join a "million-man march" next Friday and to fill all "major squares" of the country.
5456_0
What happened on Saturday?