Thousands of pro-democracy protesters have marched in cities across Egypt to demand the resignation of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
Videos posted on social media showed demonstrators chanting “rise up, fear not, Sisi must go” and “the people demand the regime’s fall” late on Friday.
Protests were reported in the capital Cairo, the second-biggest city of Alexandria and Suez.
Officers in civilian uniforms confronted the demonstrators who tried approaching Tahrir Square in Cairo.
Al Jazeera is banned from reporting from inside Egypt, but there were several reports of arrests made in the capital, and tear gas being used on demonstrators.
The demonstrations came after self-exiled Egyptian businessman and actor Mohamed Ali accused President el-Sisi of corruption and called on people to take to the streets and demand the leader be removed. el-Sisi has dismissed the allegations as “lies”.
“If el-Sisi does not announce his resignation by Thursday, then the Egyptian people will come out to the squares on Friday in protest,” Ali said in a video posted on Tuesday.
Translation: “Rise up, fear not, Sisi must go”
Ali first began posting his videos on September 2. His latest videos have been viewed hundreds of thousands of times and have turned him into a public figure in his homeland.
In his most recent appearance, a video that was published as protests were gaining momentum, Ali encouraged people to stand strong and continue demanding their rights.
“God is great … enough already, I want to come back to Egypt. I miss Egypt and my people. May God strengthen your resolve,” he said. Yehia Ghanem, Al Jazeera’s Middle East analyst, said that he “definitely” believes Friday’s protests represent a different level of momentum among Egyptians.
“What is happening in Egypt now is a long overdue movement … to rid the country from tyranny,” he said.
Friday’s protests were rare. Egypt outlawed all unauthorised demonstrations in 2013 after el-Sisi, as defense minister, led the military’s overthrow of democratically-elected President Mohamed Morsi following mass protests.
Authorities could not be immediately reached to comment. State TV did not cover the incidents.
A pro-government TV anchor said only a small group of protesters had gathered in central Cairo to take videos and selfies before leaving the scene. Another pro-government channel said the situation around the Tahrir Square was quiet.
source: Aljazeera
