Members of various political movements in the Gharbiya governorate organized a protest on Friday near the headquarters of the ruling National Democratic Party to urge people to participate in a mass protest on 25 January. Dozens of protesters called for the abolition of Emergency Law, the establishment of a minimum wage and the improvement of social conditions. Surrounded by intense security, protesters raised Egyptian and Tunisian flags and applauded the Tunisian uprising that led to the ousting of President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali this month. The protest lasted more than half an hour and protesters distributed leaflets calling for a general strike and collective protest on Tuesday, 25 January. The protesters also called on Mahalla residents and textile workers to participate in Tuesday's protest. In April 2008, Mahalla witnessed massive protests against high prices and unemployment after Facebook activists called for a general strike on 6 April in solidarity with textile workers in the city. Mahalla has long been defined as the Egyptian labor movement's stronghold. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
