Civil disobedience in Port Said entered its sixth day after thousands marched to Shohadaa’ Square on Friday to protest the ruling government.
The square lies in a pivotal part of the city between the governorate building to the north, a courthouse to the south and a military school to the west.
Protesters shut down a ship repair company the eastern port and the Suez Canal terminal remained closed, Mahmoud Qandil, an accountant participating in the protests, told Daily News Egypt.
The Port Said Tax Authority along with the governorate headquarters, the main court, a government-run telephone company, and the electricity administration are all on full strike, said Qandil, adding that “Port Said is now completely non-operational”.
In the city of Mahalla, protesters blocked the main road near Shoan Square by burning tyres, demanding President Mohamed Morsi’s regime “be put on trial for its crimes” and chanting against the police.
Protesters also closed down all shops in the square. Security forces attempted to disperse the demonstrations which resulted in clashes with protesters throwing rocks at police who are launching teargas canisters from within armoured vehicles.
In Damietta protesters used more peaceful methods as they launched the “I am not paying” campaign and formed a human chain from Sa’a Square, extending across the entire corniche, state-owned Al-Ahram reported.
The protest, in which the Socialist Popular Alliance Party participated, aimed at having citizens not pay for government utilities such as electricity, water, and gas until their demands are met.
Meanwhile in Cairo hundreds of protesters gathered in Shubra where they blocked one lane of traffic.
The demonstration demanded “an end to torture, unemployment, dire economic conditions and sexual assault against women,” said a protester who identified herself as Heidi.
She added that Morsi should be aware of and putting an end to the systematic torture that goes on in prisons having once been a prisoner himself.
