CAIRO: Protesters from Cairo and Alexandria are making their way to the Egyptian city of Suez on Monday in an effort to continue their support for demonstrations ongoing in Suez, where military and activists clashed on Sunday after the sit-in blocked a main highway linking the city, and the Suez Canal, with the rest of the country. “We are still very strong and we are not going to give in even if they try to use force against us because what we are doing is for the best of the country,” said Ahmed Murad, one of those taking the trip from Alexandria to Suez. He told Bikya Masr that “the sit-in and protests in Suez are important to Egypt and the future” of the country. It is unclear the exact numbers that are on their way to Suez to join the protests there, but the push is on for many activists to continue to throw their support behind the action currently taking place in the town, despite reports of violence. On Sunday, the military and those participating in a sit-in in Suez violently clashed. Eye witnesses reported that dozens of people had been injured and arrested in the battle. “We cut the barb wire that the army has set up,” said Ahmed Manshy, an activist in Suez. According to al-Shorouk newspaper the head of the Red Sea General Committee Ports General Mohamed Gaballah Abdel Kader said “more than 300 cars and trucks have been stuck between Suez and the Red Sea governorate,” adding that porting and deporting of ships has stopped due to the cutting of the road. Earlier on Sunday, protesters numbering over 1,000 blocked the Ain Sokhna-Suez road leading to the city. Eye witnesses confirmed that a number of trucks and private vehicles are stuck on the highway, but there doesn't seem to be complaining. A number of reports even indicate that the drivers are in solidarity with the protests. This all comes as the protesters late on Saturday threatened to cut access to the Suez Canal, but stopped short of breaching the canal headquarters after apparently discussing the matter with the military in charge of the area. But according to Abdel Kader, the protesters have refused to enter dialogue over the matter with any military officials. The majority of Egyptian activists online have thrown their support behind the actions in Suez, although a few have spoken out against attempts to take the canal. Farrah Saafan, a journalist, said that “irrational escalation is not the way to go! The public opinion will denounce the revolution more as soon as they hear the words ‘suez canal'.” Zeinobia, a leading blogger, was one of the few activists not to support the escalation of the protest and sit-in in Suez, saying that “we should have seen this coming, threatening to cut or even touch the Suez canal is a real red line.” ** Manar Ammar and Joseph Mayton contributed to this report. BM
