A field of Kefaya activists shouting slogans such as “We want a clean government , and “Down with Mubarak, the thief gathered outside the Lawyers’ Syndicate and on the steps of the Press Syndicate in Downtown Cairo for an anti-government protest to mark the movement’s second anniversary on Tuesday.
Due to a police blockade and ultra-strict security, the demonstrators remained in split locations at the protest.
Wires reported that scuffles broke out between police and demonstrators.
“We want a new government. We are prisoners of our own country, Kamel Khalil, Kefaya member, shouts into the crowd while holding up a Kefaya banner before the many press and media reporters present at the demonstration.
“And corruption is filling the country. Where is Egypt’s money, Karim Shae’r, activist and blogger, fills in.
“There are more protestors over at the Press Syndicate. They are trying to come here, but security is preventing them from leaving their current position, Hossam El-Hamalawy, journalist, told The Daily Star Egypt outside the Lawyers’ Syndicate.
Over at the Press Syndicate, more than two hundred activists chanted anti-Mubarak slogans while surrounded by security in a tight circle.
“We want new people in the authorities, a new President, a new everything. The whole system needs to be changed in order to benefit the country, a mother and daughter who joined the protest from the street, stress.
While most demonstrators carried banners with catchy slogans, one activist chose to bring a rather unusual item to today’s event: A cucumber.
With a tight grip of the vegetable and shouting “You living at the palace, get out now! the activist attracted a rather large number of curious journalists.
A number of employees at the Lawyers’ Syndicate also joined on the steps of the syndicate to see the protest taking place outside their workplace.
“I am not a member of Kefaya myself, but I think they do good things. They exemplify free opinion and we need that in this country, Mohamed Ali, a lawyer, told The Daily Star Egypt.
Kefaya, The Egyptian Movement for Change, which is not formally organized as a political party, electrified the political scene in 2005 with a series of street demonstrations.
According to AFP news agency, observers argue that Kefaya failed to build on the momentum of a year that witnessed presidential and legislative elections and suffered in 2006 from internal divisions that led to recent defections.
But in an interview with Kefaya spokesman George Ishaq played down the internal disagreements and stressed the movement was not dead.
