The National Salvation Front (NSF) joined a number of groups on Sunday to condemn the numerous cases of sexual assault and rape taking place in Tahrir Square during demonstrations. “The NSF declares its complete condemnation of the systematic violence against peaceful protesters which occurred on 25 January, 2013 and the subsequent days in Tahrir Square and a number of nearby streets, using sexual harassment and bladed weapons in an unprecedented manner,” read a statement from the opposition group. “The Front declares its full political and judicial solidarity support with the victims of these events,” said the NSF. The group went to blame the president and the Minister of the Interior for not adequately protecting peaceful protesters, whether from violence and torture or sexual harassment. “These attacks and systematic group harassment are inseparable from oppression, lynching, torture, and rape,” added the statement. Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) lawmaker Huda Ghaniya said on the Muslim Brotherhood website: “We denounce increasing sexual harassment crimes taking place against women in Tahrir Square. We affirm that Egyptian women will continue to have a leading role in the political and social arena.” A number of groups including the Egyptian Initiative for Human Rights, in coordination with Operation Anti-Sexual Harassment/Assault, a group that seeks to crack down on the cases during demonstrations, condemned the increasing trend of assault against women and expressed disappointment that groups calling for demonstrations had not done more to prevent cases of sexual assault. Other groups including Harassmap, Nazra for Feminist Studies and El Nadeem Center for Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence also joined the initiative. A women's march against sexual harassment, assault, and rape will take place on Wednesday afternoon, departing from Sayeda Zeinab at 4pm and heading to Tahrir Square.
