(AFP Photo)
Islamist groups and figures are calling on their supporters to surround the Egyptian Media Production City on Sunday in response to the Friday clashes in front of the Muslim Brotherhood’s headquarters in Moqattam.
Salafi preacher and Al-Raya Party leader Hazem Salah Abu Ismail posted on his Facebook page a call for protests at the Media City, where most satellite television station studios are housed, as well as “peacefully laying siege” to liberal parties’ headquarters and the houses of liberal opposition leaders.
“It seems it is now that peaceful movement towards the headquarters of liberal parties that are behind current events has become a necessity. It also seems that surrounding the houses of liberal leaders and media personalities is legitimate just like they surrounded the president’s house,” said a post on Abu Ismail’s official Facebook page.
The former disqualified presidential candidate added that since “liberal parties” and the media found it legitimate to protest at the Muslim Brotherhood’s headquarters and President Mohamed Morsi’s house then the Islamists should treat them in kind.
He stressed that the planned surrounding of opposition leaders and media personalities’ houses would be “peaceful and legal”.
Abdel Rahman Ezz, a member of Abu Ismail support group Hazemoon, backed the call for “besieging” the Media City.
“Burning Hypocrisy City [in reference to media city] is a revolutionary action. Glory to peacefulness. We reject violence and avoid it. We will meet on Sunday inside the [television channel] CBC studios.” Ezz tweeted.
The Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated Facebook page “We are the Muslim Brotherhood youth, learn about us” carried the calls to surround Media City as well and posted the addresses of former presidential candidates Amr Moussa, Hamdeen Sabahy, Khaled Ali as well as television host Bassem Youssef and opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei.
The calls to surround media city come as several Muslim Brotherhood members and other Islamists accuse the media being bias against them in their coverage of Friday’s clashes in front of the Muslim Brotherhood’s headquarters in Moqattam.
Salafi protesters have besieged the Media City before for a week last December, also protesting what they said was media bias. The sit-in included the closing of entrance gates and checking of cars for certain “wanted” media personalities.
