Egypt's 30 June Front calls for immediate civil disobedience

Ahram Online, Monday 1 Jul 2013

Opposition group 30 June Front urges Egyptians to begin acts of civil disobedience now, form human chains from Cairo's iconic Tahrir Square to the presidential palace during Tuesday's million man march

30 June Front calls for immediate civil disobedience
Protesters opposing Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi wave Egyptian flags and shout slogans against him and members of the Muslim Brotherhood, during a protest in front of El-Thadiya presidential palace in Cairo June 30, 2013 (Photo: Reuters)

The 30 June Front issued a statement on Monday calling on Egyptians to immediately start civil disobedience, urging citizens to stay on the streets until President Mohamed Morsi steps down.

The recently formed front is a coordinating political body made up of opposition political and revolutionary forces and led by the 'Rebel' campaign to organise protests as well as the political demands of the protests.

"We ask [Egyptians] in all governorates to stop going to work and demonstrate in all squares and in governorate headquarters," read the 30 June Front statement.

The front also called on Egyptians to form human chains from Cairo's Tahrir Square to the presidential palace in Cairo's Heliopolis district in the scheduled million man march on Tuesday.

The million man march is dubbed "Persistence March" to demonstrate that the opposition force is determined to continue the goals of the January 2011 revolution – bread, freedom and social justice – and remove the Muslim Brotherhood from power.

The 'Rebel' campaign, which is backed by Egypt's main opposition umbrella the National Salvation Front (NSF), announced that if Morsi does not respond to the people's demand by 5pm (Cairo time) on Tuesday, a nationwide civil disobedience will begin.

Sunday's mass protests to demand Morsi's resignation was prompted by 'Rebel,' which also spearheaded a signature drive collecting more than 22 million signatures to call for snap presidential elections.

Morsi was elected as president last year after winning the first-ever free elections in Egypt. His supporters, thousands of whom have been holding a sit-in at Cairo's Rabaa

Al-Adawiya Mosque in Cairo's Nasr City, argue that snap elections are unconstitutional. Morsi supporters believe the opposition must wait until the coming presidential elections due in 2016 to change the president.

Morsi’s critics usually cite the country’s deteriorating economy and the "incompetence of his administration." Many of his opponents also believe that the Muslim Brotherhood, from which he hails, is the actual ruling body of Egypt, while Morsi is helping them dominate power.

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