Protest to condemns new emergency law

Egypt’s Revolutionary Youth Union has called for a mass demonstration in Tahrir Square and across the country this Friday (September 16th). The protest, titled “no emergency law”, will oppose the Supreme Council of Armed Forces’s decision to reactivate emergency law in Egypt. Egypt’s new leaders re-enacted emergency law on Saturday following last week’s attack on the Israeli embassy in Cairo by protesters. Major General, Mahmoud Shaheen, has said that the emergency law will be in place until June 2012, arguing that the events in Egypt last week were considered acts of terrorism. The group called for the demonstration on Facebook, asking people to wear black clothes and gags to the protests to show their opposition to the emergency law. In a statement, the youth union has claimed that the reactivation emergency law is a huge step backwards. The statement also criticised the weakness of the military government, and their failure to respond adequately to the Israeli killing of Egyptian soldiers last month and recall the Egyptian ambassador to Israel. However, the military council’s decision has not been overwhelmingly condemned. Egyptian political expert, Imad Jad supports the move, stating that: “no one can oppose the activation of the emergency law, as long as it’s imposed to get back the country’s prestige and law.” Hasan Talib, head of Al –Ahram Regional Institute for Press has also accepted the new law in light of recent events.