The 25 January Revolution Youth Coalition on Thursday called on Egyptians to take part in a Friday protest outside the Egyptian Radio and Television Union in Cairo against a new law criminalizing protests and strikes. The cabinet ordered the law on Wednesday, allowing the application of jail sentences or an LE 500,000 fine. The new law would apply to anyone inciting, urging, promoting or participating in a protest or strike that hampers or delays work at any private or public establishments. But there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding the law proposed under Egypt's military rule, as it came from the cabinet and did not pass through Parliament. The ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces has not yet approved the law. The youth coalition dubbed the planned protest “The Friday of Cleansing”, during which the protesters will demand the resignation of all officials loyal to the former regime of ousted President Hosni Mubarak, including those working for state TV and state-run newspapers. In a statement on Thursday, the coalition said protesters will demonstrate their solidarity with the "assaulted university students and to support workers against intimidation attempts through the use of repressive laws, which should have been used to bring those truly corrupt to justice." Late Wednesday, the armed forces broke up a sit-in by Cairo University communications students who were calling for the resignation of Dean Sami Abdel Aziz. The coalition said the new law is "a serious indicator of a political direction that will act as a barrier against any real democracy, which the people have the right to practice.” The statement went on to say that this is "an unacceptable and unjustified setback to the revolution's achievements, while at the same time, some of the labor protesters should have given the government a chance to meet their demands in light of the difficult economic situation now facing the country." The coalition also warned of attempts to drive a wedge between the revolutionaries and the armed forces, saying that genuine stability will not be imposed by deploying force against unarmed students or workers. Translated from the Arabic Edition
