Demonstrations Erupt in Universities Against Emergency Laws

The national campaign against emergency law kicked off yesterday where thousands of Egyptian university students marked the occasion through a series of coordinated angry demonstrations denouncing emergency laws and rejecting the security apparatus meddling in academic affairs.
The demonstrations organized by different political and national forces active in the Egyptian community.


More than 10 thousands students participated in demonstrations organized by the Muslim Brotherhood students in several university campuses including Helwan, Monofya, Assyot, Zakazeek, and Alexandria.
The protestors marched inside the campuses’ grounds before holding a conference announcing their demands, which include:



1-End of emergency laws and all freedom restricting laws



2-Lift all restrictions on the students to practice their activities without the harassment and intimidation by security forces which control all aspects of academic life all over Egypt’s universities



3-Condemning the suspension of several MB students because of their political affiliation



4-Ending the security apparatus meddling in academic affairs and calling for universities independence



5-Edning the authorities’ security control over student elections and stresing on the right to have free elections where students, not the government, can choose their representatives in the student body.
The cancellation of the 1976 election bylaws which are designed to impose government control over students’ activities.



6-Condeming the government crackdown on outspoken university professors and teaching staff



7-Denouncing the latest sectarian violence and reaffirming the strong bonds between Muslims and Christians in Egypt


The students also expressed their determination to continue their peaceful campaign through all different channels until their demands are met and the citizens’ rights are restored.


In an attempt to abort these anticipated protests, the Egyptian government stepped up its campaign of detentions of students and prefessors in different universities in order to undermine the fierce popular opposition to the emergency laws which is the government expected to ask the parliament to extend them.


President Mubarak, during his fifth reelection campaign, promised to abolish the 25 years old state of emergency.