Mohamed Mahmoud press conference canceled following downtown arrests

Eyewitnesses reported widespread arrests in the downtown area following small protests to commemorate the Mohamed Mahmoud clashes on Wednesday afternoon, leading revolutionary groups to cancel a press conference at the Journalists Syndicate at 5 pm.

Many said the arrests appeared random, including people sitting in cafes, in the metro and anyone with a backpack or typing on their phones. 

Plain-clothed officers arrested protesters around the popular Borsa cafes shortly after a small protest started, which was dispersed with warning shots, and privately owned Al-Shorouk newspaper reported that a protest was dispersed in Bab al-Louq with teargas.

One man in civilian clothes was seen arresting a woman while raising a gun.

A heavy police presence was witnessed around downtown since early morning.

The Hisham Mubarak Rights Center reported the arrest of seven men and four women and the dispersal of two protests in Talaat Harb and Sherif Streets.

The Revolutionary Socialists, Dostour Party, Strong Egypt Party and the Bread and Freedom Party announced earlier that they would hold a press conference at the Journalists Syndicate that would be attended by the families of those killed and the injured, deeming street protests too risky.

The clashes that became known as, the "Battle of Mohamed Mahmoud,” broke out between protesters and security forces on November 19, 2011, and lasted for five days, during which security forces used live ammunition. The death toll among protesters surpassed 50.

Three years on, and various political powers continue to battle over ownership of the events. Revolutionary groups have held the military government responsible for the violence and accused the Muslim Brotherhood, who didn’t officially participate, of abandoning the revolution for political gains.

Last year, the Brotherhood-affiliated anti-coup alliance, as well as groups supporting then Defense Minister Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, released statements commemorating the day and announcing their participation in street events.

The April 6 Youth Group's Democratic Front had initially announced that they would commemorate the day with a march in Mohamed Mahmoud street and then changed their minds, announcing that they would join the other forces at the syndicate. 

Since the removal of former President Mohamed Morsi last year and the passing of a law criminalizing unauthorized protests last November, street action has been met by a severe crackdown, leading most revolutionary forces to make the strategic decision to minimize their street presence.

Over 40,000 have been arrested over the last year, according to Wikithawra, an informal database, mostly on protest-related charges.

Hesham Fouad, the spokesperson for the Revolutionary Socialists, told Mada Masr that revolutionary forces have limited their street action in the last period in order to reduce the number of arrests. However, he added it’s important to maintain a presence on memorable days.

“When there’s an occasion like Mohamed Mahmoud with its value and history and the heroism it witnessed, there has to be an attempt to memorialize it, even if it is symbolic,” Fouad said, adding that it’s important to remind the public that there’s a third alternative to the Muslim Brotherhood and the state.

However, he said the choice to limit the events of the day to the syndicate is also an attempt to minimize the risk of arrest.

Several figures affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, including Morsi-era ministers Amr Darrag and Mohamed Mahsoub, released a statement calling on all Egyptians to unite around the memory of Mohamed Mahmoud and commemorate it in the streets.

The statement added that there have been mistakes made by several sides, but that the revolution should persist despite these mistakes.

In 2011, the Muslim Brotherhood, which was the largest organized group on the ground, focused on the approaching parliamentary elections and dismissed the Mohamed Mahmoud clashes, which led to accusations of selling out the revolution for political gains.

There have been calls by state supporters and some political powers rejecting street movements to commemorate the events and insisting that any such action is tied to the Muslim Brotherhood.

Tarek al-Khouly, a former April 6 member and the founder of “The Youth of the Third Republic” front, issued a statement rejecting calls for protests on the day.

“Any movement on the ground now will only serve the interests of the terrorist Muslim Brotherhood group, and the powers participating are fifth columnists to the Brotherhood. No patriotic Egyptian chants for the downfall of the military rule while the blood of our martyrs from the Armed Forces hasn’t dried on the borders,” he announced.

Fouad says that the state is using all its influence, including the media, to prevent any street movements and promote the idea that people should stay home under the pretext of the government’s engagement in the war on terrorism.

“There’s a deliberate effort by those who want to prevent street movements to use the fear of Islamist forces in order to make sure that there are no opposition voices in the street,” Fouad says.

In 2012, clashes were renewed during the commemoration of the original violence, leading to further deaths.