Egypt’s President, Abdul Fattah al-Sisi appears to be standing on shaky grounds after hundreds of Egyptians staged their first major protests against him.
Since 2014 when al-Sisi took over, there have been hardly any public out-pour of protests against his government.
On Friday, tear gas was fired at protesters to disperse them when they gathered at Tahrir Square in Cairo.
The square is a key site of the 2011 Egyptian Revolution with the protesters demanding al-Sisi’s resignation.
President al-Sisi is facing corruption allegations against his government.
An Egyptian businessman and actor, Mohamed Ali, accused him of wasting millions on luxury residences and hotels while Egyptians live in poverty.
President Sisi has dismissed the allegations as “lies and slander”.
Demonstrations were also held in Egypt’s second-largest city, Alexandria, as well as in Suez.
There were protests also in the town of Mahalla el-Kubra which is north of Cairo.
From #Tahrir square a few minutes ago#محدش_نزل #ميدان_التحرير #ارحل #Egypt
— Jamal Elshayyal جمال الدين الشيال (@JamalsNews) September 20, 2019
Al-Sisi was first elected in 2014, nearly a year after leading the military overthrow of Egypt’s first freely elected president, the Islamist Mohammed Morsi amid mass protests.
In 2018 he won a second term after being re-elected in a vote in which he faced no serious challengers.
This year Egyptians also voted to approve constitutional changes that could extend Sisi’s term in office until 2030.
He now faces the real test of his presidency with the emergence of protests.
Source: Africafeeds.com
