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Cairo — Thousands of people gathered in Tahrir Square, the focal point of the revolution that deposed longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak, to demand the ouster of Egypt’s first democratically-elected leader, Mohamed Morsi. It was a far cry from one year ago, when supporters packed the square to celebrate Morsi’s inauguration. He had the support of a loose coalition of liberal parties who backed him largely to block the election of his rival, longtime Mubarak-era prime minister Ahmed Shafiq.
But yesterday many of those same supporters were in Tahrir demanding Morsi’s ouster, blaming him for the country’s stagnant economy, worsening security and ongoing lack of basic services.
Demonstrators chanted “irhal” — “leave” — and waved red cards, symbolically urging Morsi to exit. Many said they would camp on the square until the president resigns.
“It’s the same politics as Mubarak but we are in a worse situation,” said Sameh al-Masri, one of the organisers on the main stage. “Poverty is increasing, inflation is increasing. It’s much worse than Mubarak.”
Protesters directed their anger not just at Morsi but the ruling Muslim Brotherhood, which in two years has gone from a banned movement to the ruling party. The square was awash with conspiracy theories — claims that Morsi is working with Hamas to kill Egyptian soldiers, for example.
But there were also more substantial complaints about the Brotherhood as a political entity.
“Mosques should be for religion, not for politics,” said Ahmed Sultan, a student.
The anti-Morsi protests were organised by a grassroots campaign calling itself Tamarod, meaning “rebellion” or “insubordination”, which claims to have collected signatures from 22 million Egyptians demanding the president leaves office. The petition has no legal standing, but it has nonetheless tapped into widespread public anger towards Morsi.
The president has made a number of controversial decisions since taking office, most notably a November decree which shielded his decisions from judicial review.
Egypt’s economy is in free-fall: The pound has dropped in value by nearly 20 percent since he took office, foreign investment continues to wither, and businesses are paralysed by widespread fuel and electricity shortages. — Al Jazeera
Online Reporter
Londile Moyo