Thousands of Egyptians from Islamist movements took to the streets in Cairo to protest against former allies of ousted President Hosni Mubarak running for president.
The Egyptian parliament approved a bill on political isolation of Mubarak’s supporters for ten years but the document needs to be signed by the acting head of state, Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, to be binding.
Two speaking platforms have been set up on Tahrir Square in Cairo, with leaders of the conservative Islamic movements Moslem Brotherhood and Salaphites addressing the crowd.
Several youth organizations called for protests a week ago in support of last spring’s revolution. But when Islamist organizations announced their plans to join the event, many of them refused to be associated with the radicals and gave up the protest idea.
Protest sentiments arose after Omar Suleiman, former intelligence chief under Mubarak, was officially registered as a presidential candidate earlier this week.
“We did not fight and topple the Mubarak regime to have his closest ally, security chief, become president after the revolution of January 25 [2011],” said a leader of the Moslem Brotherhood organization in Qena province, Ibrahim ash-Shazli.
The main events on Tahrir, speeches by Moslem Brotherhood leaders and Salaphites, are expected later in the day after the noon prayer.
