An unknown group has called for demonstrations outside the Supreme Constitutional Court to coincide with the court’s ruling on the constitutionality of the Shura Council. While the calls were made to “protect” the court from Muslim Brotherhood “militias”, the country’s main opposition groups have distanced themselves from the planned demonstration.
The Shura Council, the upper house of parliament, is the country’s only legislature since the People’s Assembly was dissolved by a Supreme Constitutional Court ruling. The court will rule on the legality of the Shura Council on 15 January.
The planned demonstration, scheduled on Facebook, was made to “protect the court and its judges from the militias of the Muslim Brotherhood.”
Oposition groups said they were unaware of the planned demonstration. Khaled Dawoud, the spokesperson of the National Salvation Front, said the event was not organised by the front, which has no official stance on the planned demonstration yet. However he noted that the front is made up of many parties. “Perhaps some of the parties in the front are taking part,” he said.
Mohamed Adel, the spokesperson of 6 April Youth Movement, said the movement had not received an invitation to join the demonstration.
On 1 December 2012, supporters of President Mohamed Morsy staged a sit-in outside the court, a day before the court’s ruling on the Constituent Assembly and Shura Council. This forced the court’s judges to suspend their work. The court only officially reconvened a month later.
The former deputy chairman of the Supreme Constitutional Court Tahany El-Gebaly said in a press conference on Tuesday that she respects the right of anyone to peacefully protest.
The Muslim Brotherhood could not be reached for comment.
