A demonstration took place in Cairo’s iconic Tahrir square on Friday, where hundreds of demonstrators gathered to hold their Eid Al-Adha prayers and to express their discontent towards President Mohamed Morsy.
Mazhar Shahin, a sheikh known for his criticism of the government, led the prayer and delivered a speech critical of the president. Following the speech demonstrators removed their shoes and waved them in the air, while chanting that Shahin had sold out the revolution and calling him a liar. Shahin returned to the nearby Umar Makram mosque where he is based.
Present at the demonstration were supporters of the 8 April officers, who held aloft photographs of those officers detained by the army for their participation in protests last year. The 8 April supporters expressed their discontent towards Morsy for his handling of their court cases.
Morsy had promised sweeping changes and solutions to many of Egypt’s most pressing problems within the first 100 days of his presidency. Since his self imposed deadline expired in early October, Egyptians have taken to the streets in protest of his political shortcomings.
Activists like Saleh Fekry Mohamed say it is too early to be judging the president. “A lot of people disagree with Morsy,” Fekry Mohamed said, “but this is also the first time in 3,000 years that we have a civilian-elected president.” The president and his government, he argues, “have no clue what they are dealing with and should not have promised things they know nothing about.”
