Egyptians reject April 6 demonstrations

Groups and parties from across Egypt’s political spectrum have turned their backs on demonstrations by April 6 Movement activists, amid concerns they would attract anger from ordinary Egyptians. Leaders of Egypt’s opposition National Salvation Front (NSF) refused to participate in protests outside Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim’s home, after activists taunted security forces by waving underwear at them. Around 400 members of the April 6 Movement clashed with police outside Ibrahim’s Nasr City home in Cairo. Four were arrested after some protesters chanted derogatory statements against the ministry, describing it as a “prostitute” while holding underwear in the air. Mohamed Abou el-Ghar, head of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party, has reaffirmed Egyptians’ right to peaceful protests but that they should carry out that right at leaders’ places of work. Wafd Party spokesman Abdullah el-Moghazy said the April 6 Movement “is trying to adopt different ways to demonstrate.” The Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) has claimed the protest represented “moral decline” in Egypt’s youth. “We opposed Mubarak together for tens of years,” a party source told Arabstoday. “But we haven’t abandoned our values.”