March to the palace

Basil El-Dabh
3 Min Read
Leaders of the National Salvation Front head civil parties march to Tahrir against presidential constitutional decree. (DNE / Basil Al-Dabh)
Leaders of the National Salvation Front head civil parties march to Tahrir against presidential constitutional decree. (DNE / Basil Al-Dabh)
Leaders of the National Salvation Front head civil parties march to Tahrir against presidential constitutional decree (File photo / Basil Al-Dabh)

A group of non-Islamist parties and movements, led by the National Salvation Front (NSF), are set to stage marches across Egypt on Friday following midday prayers.

Cairo marches will converge on the presidential palace in Heliopolis. The Popular Current announced their marches in the capital will leave Al-Nour Mosque in Al-Abbaseya and Rabaa Al-Adaweya Mosque in Nasr City, while Al-Dostour Party has designated Hadayeq Al-Qoba, Matareya Square, Hegaz Square, and Ain Shams as gathering places for their protesters to meet following Friday prayers.

Additional marches are planned in Alexandria, Suez, Ismailia, Al-Mansoura, Damanhour, Kafr Al-Sheikh, Fayoum, Al-Menya, Aswan, Qena, Al-Arish, Port Said, and Sharqia.

A statement by the NSF said the marches are intended to be a “categorical rejection that the regime wants to impose its own will on the people.”

The NSF demands the formation of “national salvation government” that would focus on resolving the major problems faced by Egypt. The group also demanded that a committee be formed to amend the constitution, which it claims was written by the Muslim Brotherhood in a way that did not fairly represent all Egyptians.

The NSF also called on the president to fully annull the 22 November presidential decree and sack the Prosecutor General, Talaat Abdallah, who he appointed in the wake of the constitutional amendment. The opposition also demanded the formation of a judicial commission that would investigate incidents involving the killing of protesters in an effort to hold the perpetrators to account.

The NSF stressed that the Muslim Brotherhood needed to become a licensed and legal organisation. Lastly, the opposition demanded the end to emergency law in Port Said, Suez, and Ismailia after it was implemented earlier this week after violence swept across the towns, killing dozens.

The demonstrations come after President Mohamed Morsy called party heads to a national dialogue. Parties in the NSF boycotted the meeting, reiterating their insistence that the president listen to their demands before undertaking any further negotiations.

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