CAIRO: Government members of Egypt's Parliament had called on security to use live ammunition against opposition protesters and activists earlier this year. They got their wish on Monday, after police used live rounds to force Muslim Brotherhood supporters away from putting up campaign posters supporting their candidates in the upcoming Parliamentary elections. Police confirmed on Tuesday that their officers did use live fire during a small scuffle with opposition activists. The move has left local and international human rights organizations upset and angered over the use of force to deter activists from supporting their candidates. Three Muslim Brotherhood activists were arrested after the incident, which saw police fire warning shots into the air, in order to stop the banners, which the government said are illegal, from going up. According to one interior ministry official, the banners were “not allowed and the people were going to put them up anyway, so the only way to get their attention and stop them was to fire in the air.” The official added to Bikya Masr that “all religious slogans are barred from use this campaign and we will not allow exceptions.” Last April, government MPs said security Egyptian pro-democracy demonstrators “should be shot” by police. The statements were met with widespread anger from the activist community, who continue to force their voices to be heard in a climate of seemingly never-ending government crackdowns. MP Hassan Nashat al-Kassas said, referring to the April 6 Youth Movement who had recently held two protesters in Cairo where police violently beat them and arrested many, that “they are not youth activists, they are a bunch of idlers.” Fellow MP Ahmed Abu Akrab chimed into the conversation and said that Egypt “enjoys a democratic climate these days.” But, al-Kassas went a step further in his comments during the verbal battle in Parliament, saying that protesters should be punished for their actions. He said the government should “beat [them] strongly, shoot them not only by water hoses … they deserve fire,” a reference to using live ammunition against mainly peaceful demonstrators. Hassiba Haj Sahrawi, the Director for the Middle East and North Africa Program at Amnesty, said that “the continued harassment of peaceful protesters underlines that the authorities are determined to suppress the critical voices of its policies and calling for reform. “Egyptian authorities should provide a peaceful climate for the protesters to demonstrate in a safe way, instead of launching an attack by security forces known for its brutal record,” she added. The Muslim Brotherhood's slogan is “Islam is the solution,” but has been forced this campaign season to search out new means of attracting followers to vote in the November 28 vote. BM
