25 Sep 2019; MEMO: Some 964 Egyptians have been arrested during protests calling for the country’s President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi to step down which began on Friday.
Figures released by the Egyptian Centre for Economic and Social Rights reveal the extent of the government crackdown on demonstrators who have been angered by revelations that Al-Sisi has been building palaces while civilians are starving and suffering from increased living costs, reduced government subsidies, and rising taxes.
Among those detained were six members of the Istiqlal Party which had released a statement in support of the protests, asking demonstrators to go to Tahrir Square yesterday.
Security forces also detained the deputy head of the Popular Communist Party Abdel-Naser Ismail and the deputy head of Al-Karama Party Abdel-Aziz Al-Husseini.
The identities and whereabouts of scores of those arrested remain unknown, activists have said.
