Protests mark Egypt's Jan 25 with 'anti-Brotherhoodisation'

Demonstrations aim to form a ‘one million-strong’ protest in Tahrir Square Cairo – Akram Ali, Ali Ragab Egyptian opposition groups have been preparing for the country’s January 25 anniversary, marking the second anniversary of the Arab Spring revolution against former leader Hosni Mubarak, urging Egyptians to demonstrate again under the slogan: “No to the Brotherhoodisation of the state.”
The conference, attended by 18 alliances and parties, took place at the Egyptian Journalists’ Syndicate ahead of Friday’s demonstrations, referring to a locally-used used word to describe the increasing influence of the Muslim Brotherhood over the country.
Protesters also demanded the dismissal of the Prosecutor General and “just retribution" for the revolution’s martyrs, after Hosni Mubarak’s appeal plea against a life sentence was accepted. Opposition coalition, the National Salvation Front [NSF], also announced an “open-ended sit-in” should the group’s demands not be met.
In a statement, the Journalists' Syndicate conference agreed that all marches would head to Tahrir Square and that a tracking operation will be set up to follow up on the marches minute-by-minute.
"The rulers are satisfied with following America, Qatar and Israel's leads, threatening the country's future," a statement issued by the conference said.
Al-Dustour Party member, Shadi al-Ghazali Harb said: "The presence of a Brotherhood government controlling the upcoming elections confirms that it will be a dirty political game full of blatant violations that we have seen before." He also warned the NSF against "falling into this trap,” demanding the opposition "hold on to the revolution and its demands."
"All revolutionary forces continue to adhere to peaceful demonstrations and will never abandon them, especially as the right to sit-in is granted to all,” Harb added.
"Everyone will take to Tahrir Square, not to celebrate, but to retrieve the rights which have been squandered in the Brotherhood's hands. They have primary responsibility for the rights of the martyrs, and that includes the ordinary citizens who have died in road and transport accidents," Harb said, claiming the current government "cannot be trusted with Egyptians' lives."
Activist Ahmed Douma said: "[The NSF] and the leading figures of the civil forces must not take part in the upcoming election so as not to legitimise a regime which has already lost its legitimacy." He added: "The purpose of taking to the street on January 25 is not to celebrate, but to complete the revolution and topple the current regime which has hijacked the revolution." He said he and others would "disown" the NSF should it "keep on with its stubbornness" and "let the Egyptian people down" by taking part in parliamentary elections.
Revolutionary forces have organised 16 marches to convene on Tahrir Square, the Ittihadiya Palace as well as the various revolutionary squares in the provinces.
The marches will then allegedly form a “million-strong” demonstration against the current administration and President Mohammed Morsi’s controversial Constitutional Declaration.
Marches will reportedly begin following Friday prayers, heading toward the Ittihadiya Palace from eastern Cairo and toward Tahrir Square from the western side of the city.
Demonstrations will also move from the Shubra, the Fatah and al-Nour mosques and from Saleh Salem Street, all descending on either Tahrir or the presidential complex.
The NSF meanwhile held its own meeting to discuss participation in the January 25 protests, attended by former presidential candidates Hamdin Sabbahi and Amr Moussa. The chairman of the al-Dustour Party, Mohamed el-Baradei, did not attend the meeting, which discussed internal arrangements relating to NSF committees.
One NSF member, Mohammed el-Orabi, said: "The meeting touched upon organisational issues relating to the January 25 demonstrations." He added that "all possibilities are there, including an open-ended sit-in until demands are met."
Chief among these demands, he said, was “amending faulty articles in the constitution and ending political polarisation and economic deterioration."
Speaking after the meeting, the President of the Egyptian Bar and head of the NSF's legal committee, Sameh Ashour, said: "We settled on a sit-in on January 25 in order to topple the Brotherhood."
Ashour said: "We will not give up on the revolution's demands and will use peaceful methods." He added that the Front would form committees in every governorate to monitor ballot boxes in case of potential voter fraud during the parliamentary elections. International organisations should be welcomed into the country as objective observers, Ashour added.
NSF member and founder of the Socialist People's Alliance Party, Abdel Ghaffar Shukr, meanwhile claimed: "The Front has agreed on preparations ahead of the January 25 demonstrations: to reassert the street's demands, the people's right to a dignified existence, the amendment of the constitution and other political and social rights which should be made available to Egyptian citizens."
"The Front is wholly dissatisfied with the new electoral law and the 11 guarantees that the Front has long called for should be made available," Shukr said, threatening to boycott the elections should all these conditions not be met.