(Photo by Amany Kamal)
The closure of the Sadat metro station in fear of protests to take place in the iconic Tahrir Square in Cairo’s downtown was the highlight of an anticipated heated anniversary of 30 June protests.
The assassination of Prosecutor General Hisham Barakat on Monday morning changed planned scenes for the day that was poised to mark two years after the popular uprising toppled the Muslim Brotherhood government.
Barakat died Monday afternoon in Nozha hospital due to injuries sustained in an attack that targeted his motorcade earlier in the day in the Heliopolis district of Cairo.
Following the announcement of Barakat’s death, the presidency stated it will stop planned anniversary celebrations.
In response to the assassination, the interior minister presented a provisional security plan to the presidency, entailing stepped up security presence surrounding vital facilities and public institutions. The plan included security measures for public transportation.
Political groups called on people to take to the streets on 30 June, the anniversary of a popular uprising that eventually led to the ouster of former president Mohamed Morsi, to protest “against the military coup”.
Among them were the Istiqlal Party, as well as ‘Women against the Coup’ and the ‘Movement of Azharis against the Coup’. No major protests were reported.
The Egyptian Company for Metro Management and Operation decided Monday to close Sadat metro station on Tuesday, which is believed to be a part of security plans for the anniversary day.
The station was recently reopened after almost two years of closure for security reasons, as it was shut after the post-Rabaa Al-Adaweya dispersal violence.
