On September 22, the Egyptian security forces faced hundreds of protestors who were protesting against the government in the port city of Suez. According to the residents, they were subjected to tear gas and live rounds. The epicenter of the 2011 Egyptian revolution, Tahir Square in Cairo also had heavy security forces after the increasing protests in several cities for the removal of the current president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. The protests of this magnitude are not a usual occurrence specially after the protests are banned under the law. 

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Rising prices in Egypt

The Egyptians are fueled with the dissatisfaction over the rising prices. The Sisi government has imposed difficult economic conditions since 2016 as a part of a $12 billion loan package from the International Monetary Fund. According to official figures released in July, these austerity measures have resulted in making one in every three Egyptian's life below the poverty line which means living on less than $1.40 per day. The protestors gathered in the port cities of Alexandria and Suez as well as Central Cairo demanding an anti-Sisi government after reportedly an online call for a demonstration. 

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Repression of political opposition

The current President,  Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has been marked by the repression of political opposition along with civil society. The protestors who are flooding the streets risked their arrests as well as faced the threat of force by the Egyptian authorities. Egypt has nearly 60,000 political prisoners and protests are usually dealt with force. Observers, therefore, hailed the protestors' readiness to demonstrate even for a limited time until they were dispersed with tear gas. According to a resident, the tear gas was so thick that it reached her apartment which was a few kilometres away from the downtown area of protest. Reportedly, her nose also started burning up. 

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The demonstrations

Nearly 74 people have been arrested after the feud between the police forces and the crowd. However, the number of arrested protestors are expected to increase. Hundreds of Egyptians flooded the streets chanting slogans of “Leave, Sisi!” and demanded a “fall of the regime”. These demonstrations came after an exiled businessman, Mohamed Aly posted calls online for protest against the general-turned-president. He also provoked Egyptians to take part in a “million-man march” next Friday and to flood all major squares of the country with demonstrators. Aly also called this to be a “people's revolution” and urged that everyone has to link up together as one. However, Sisi has denied all allegations on him and said he was “honest and faithful” to the people as well as the military. 

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(inputs from PTI)