Islamists dominate demonstrations across Egypt

Ahram Online, Friday 29 Jul 2011

Islamists are holding onto the upper hand in demonstrations across the nation

Apart from mass protests in Cairo and Alexandria, other Egyptian cities witnessed smaller ‎demonstrations, where the Islamists are keeping the upper hand across the nation.‎

In Suez, thousands took to the street. Salafists rallied in the January 25 Square, while ‎secularists calling for the fulfillment of the revolution demands gathered in El-Arbaeen ‎Square before deciding to walk out because the “Islamists did not live up to their word" i.e., not ‎to chant religious slogans.‎

There was an agreement among many political forces not to chant Islamic or partisan ‎‎slogans and call for unity, however, pro-Islamic slogans were common in all protests.‎

Tens of Salafists in Qena, Upper Egypt, chanted pro-Islam slogans and held banners and placards with ‎anti-secularist statements.

In Assiout, thousands from across the political spectrum went out to protest, but the Islamists’ ‎presence was quite felt.

Disagreements broke out in Mansoura among hundreds of protesters over the chants of ‎the Islamists and lack of unity.‎

Pro-Islam slogans were frequently repeated in Zagazig governorate's Tahrir Square and Fayom, ‎including the widely chanted “Islamic, Islamic.”

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