DAQAHLYIA, Egypt: Daqahlyia farmers traveled to Cairo to participate in a demonstration before the Egyptian Cabinet headquarters on Thursday. The farmers protested against suppression by the Awqaf (religious endowments) authority in the governorate. Their march moved to Press Syndicate, and they called for a syndicate of farmers aimed at achieving their demands and rights. Some of the farmers also called to receive squatter's rights for the land they occupy, including the cancellation of all auctions on their land, dropping all verdicts in favor of the Awqaf authority and reclaiming the money the Awqaf took from them. The call for a million-man demonstration came outside Maspiro, the headquarters of Egyptian television and radio. The farmers will stage a sit-in if their demands are not met, said Amgad al-Faramawy, a lawyer of the Farmers Rights committee.
