CAIRO - Thousands of media workers and political activists staged a peaceful rally outside the TV and Radio Building in Cairo to protest against an anti-protest draft bill that was approved by the Cabinet on Wednesday. Political groups and activists are angry about the legislation, which bans strikes, protests, demonstrations and sit-ins on the grounds that they interrupt private or State-owned businesses. Violators and inciters , according to the law, will serve a one year term and pay a fine of up to LE500,000. Many protesters, who observed what is called "The Friday of Purge" have claimed that the law violates all the values of the January 25 revolution, in which the right to freedom of expression was one of its core demands. Meanwhile, the media workers demanded that all top TV and radio officials loyal to the old regime be removed. They have also expressed their full solidarity with students from the Faculty of Mass Communications at Cairo University, who have been protesting for two weeks demanding that the dean of the faculty, be removed because of his ties to the former ruling National Democratic Party (NDP). On Wednesday night, military police stormed the university campus and forcibly dispersed the protesters and arrested and beat several students. The protesters have expressed their anger over “the military police storming of the Cairo University campus, cutting off the electricity from the mass communications students, the physical attacks on students, their professors and those who joined their peaceful sit-in, and the use of force to throw them out of their own university”. The protesters chanted anti-Government slogans, saying that the Egyptians had sacrificed their lives to get rid of the Mubarak regime and they were ready to sacrifice again if their freedom was taken away from them once more. The political activists and union leaders, who took part in yesterday's protest, demanded that the law be scrapped before it is approved by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. Since former President Hosni Mubarak stepped down on February 11, Egypt has witnessed escalating labour actions and political protests. Many union leaders have expressed their shock at the law. In a statement issued yesterday, the investment bank Beltone Financial said: “The law is more likely to face further protests and discontent. The Egyptians have only just found their political voice and will, most likely, view this decision as another attempt to silence it. We agree that there is a need for work to resume normally once again, for Egypt's economy to begin its recovery process, but we also believe that the Government's decision to criminalise protests and strikes could provoke further discontentment and more protests.”
