Rare anti-Sisi protests lead to crackdown, arrests in Egypt
Small and sporadic groups of protesters responded to Egyptian contractor Mohamed Ali's calls to demonstrate, followed by arrests in predominantly poor rural areas.
CAIRO — Egyptian lawyers say the country's security forces have made a series of arrests in response to Sept. 20-21 demonstrations seeking political and economic reforms. The protests took place in response to a call from Spain-based Egyptian contractor Mohamed Ali, who has been a thorn in the government's side.
The turnout for the demonstrations was limited amid a growing governmental crackdown. Various neighborhoods in Cairo witnessed demonstrations; there also were protests in other governorates, most of which are rural.
People who witnessed the demonstrations told Al-Monitor that there were calls for the departure of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi; one witness said, "The security forces dealt with them brutally as they rigorously fired tear gas canisters to disperse the protests."
Human rights lawyer Hala Abu Duma told Al-Monitor she "expects more arrests in the areas that saw protests." She said, "Until this morning, the security forces are still coming with detainees for investigation."
