CAIRO: As the People’s Assembly approved a long list of controversial amendments to the constitution last Monday, activists around the world have been busy organizing protests.
Protestors, including an anti-Mubarak group who will demonstrate under the slogan ‘Goodbye Mubarak’ plan to take a stand outside Egyptian embassies in New York, Washington, and London on Monday afternoon to coincide with the public referendum on the proposed changes.
“As President Mubarak plans to impose these new restrictive laws on the Egyptian people on Monday, Egyptians all over the world are raising their voices and saying no. We want freedom, equality, citizenship, free and fair elections while the amendments only abolish them all, Noura Younis, blogger activist and organizer of the Washington rally told The Daily Star Egypt.
Denounced by international human rights organizations and all major opposition groups on the basis that the amendments will severely undermine human rights conditions in Egypt, the proposed amendments significantly weaken judicial oversight over elections and provide the President with the right to dissolve parliament and try civilians before military tribunals.
“The 34 amendments passed through the People’s Assembly without any changes or additions. Considering the Egyptian government’s rejection of international monitoring of Monday’s referendum, the results are quiet predictable, Younis stressed.
At today’s New York protest participants are urged to wear black clothes and wave black flags to demonstrate their anger and discontent over the amendments.
“We are a group of nonaffiliated Egyptian-Americans who simply want to express our strong discontent with the proposed constitutional amendments and the increasing authoritarianism of President Mubarak s regime. We also hold this protest in support of all the brave Egyptian political activists, protest organizer Shehab Ismail told The Daily Star Egypt.
A rally at the Egyptian embassy in London organized by the Muslim Brotherhood and Islamist group Save Egypt Front will reportedly be held on Monday at noon.
