Grass-roots group seeks to defeat Egyptian amendments
As Egyptians head to the polls for the final day of voting on constitutional amendments that would grant President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi more power and lengthen his term, opponents have been campaigning against them despite government oppression.
CAIRO — Passers-by in Abdel Moneim Riad Square in downtown Cairo were shocked April 11 to see a banner hung from a bridge there that read “Egypt is no one’s property; No to the constitutional amendments; #Freedom_ForEgypt.”
It's unusual for Egyptians to see such banners in light of the repression of those opposing the amendments, which would expand President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's powers and could extend his term until 2030.
That morning, Freedom for Egypt members had taken on the extraordinary task of swiftly hanging banners and taking pictures of what was hung before fleeing in a cab out of fear of being seen or chased by the police.
The secretive movement surfaced in early March to oppose the April 20-22 referendum on the amendments. Each night the members, mostly in their 20s, secretly scrawl “NO to the constitutional amendments” as graffiti in the streets of Cairo, Alexandria, el-Mansoura, Tanta and other cities. Covering their heads with hats, they distribute leaflets with the same slogan to drivers and passers-by in these cities at dawn.
