Anti-Mubarak Rallies in Cairo
Charles Johnson
Mon Feb 21, 2005 at 5:35 pm PST • Views: 221
Along with the amazing news coming out of Lebanon, where tens of thousands of Lebanese marched in a protest against Syria, another story gives reason to hope that the Middle East may yet awaken from its long, dark night: Cairo anti-Mubarak rallies grow. (Hat tip: NC.)
Hundreds of protesters have staged a demonstration against Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in the Egyptian capital, Cairo. It was the largest such rally in a series of anti-government protests which began in December. Thousands of riot police stood by as the protesters chanted “No to Mubarak”, but they did not intervene.
Campaigners are opposed to Mr Mubarak seeking a fifth six-year term and are urging freer presidential elections.
Earlier this month, about 100 people held a protest in Cairo calling for an end to Mr Mubarak’s political dominance and for constitutional change. In the latest rally - the fourth since December - about 500 protesters gathered in a public square outside Cairo University.
The demonstrators sported yellow stickers bearing the word “Enough” in Arabic and chanted anti-government slogans, such as “No to Mubarak”, and “Leave, have mercy on us”.
The danger here is that by opening their long moribund systems to participatory democracy, countries like Egypt and Lebanon risk having Islamist parties stage a bloodless coup by election. We can only hope that in the long term, the power of freedom will overcome these totalitarian forces, and that the people of the Middle East won’t blow this historic chance.
Frank says: