By Mai Shams El-Din
CAIRO: Protesters in Suez are calling for a million-man protest on Tuesday, echoing calls by Tahrir Square protesters, but also promising “surprising escalation measures not to be declared now,” member of the Suez Revolution Youth Coalition Ahmed Abdel Gawad told Daily News Egypt Monday.
“We are already protesting in front of the Suez Canal’s movement control office, El-Arbaeian Square and in front of the governorate building. We will escalate by blocking more streets and emptying the governorate building, in addition to a call on Tuesday for general civil disobedience,” said Abdel Gawad.
“Escalations will take place each according to a specific time plan and according to how the demands will be met, but we intend to escalate our actions if all those attempts fail to achieve our demands,” he added.
Rumors that Suez police officers accused of killing protesters, who were recently released on bail, had escaped the city could not be confirmed, said Ahmed El-Kilani, a lawyer representing some of the martyrs’ families.
“I do not have accurate information regarding these rumors, although I think it is just a rumor, this cannot happen,” El-Kilani told DNE.
“We had hoped that the court would accept the Prosecutor General’s challenge to the decision to release of the police officers, but unfortunately the court turned down the appeal. We do not have the legal right to appeal the decision either.”
Abdel Gawad added that the main sit-in is in front of the Suez Canal’s movement control office, which is surrounded with barbed wire and guarded by the third army.
At time of press, around 500 protesters were present, but Abdel Gawad said that the numbers increase after working hours and numbers reach thousands by night.
“We will not accept anything less than the swift trial of the killers of the protesters, and to see Mubarak in jail for what he did, that’s what will stop us,” Abdel Gawad added.
“We are carrying our coffins, every one of the protesters is a potential martyr; we have nothing to lose.”
