Police forces stop pro-Palestinian demonstration in Azhar mosque

Dozens of worshippers gathered in Al-Azhar Mosque after Friday prayer to chant in condemnation of the Israeli assault on Gaza and to proclaim solidarity with Palestinians, while police blocked the doors of the mosque to prevent the demonstration from spilling out onto the street, eyewitnesses told Mada Masr.

Protests also took place in solidarity with Palestine on Friday in a public square in Alexandria. 

Members of the public in Egypt put on a display of support for Palestine during day six of an Israeli assault on Gaza, which has killed nearly 1,800 in the besieged enclave until now. Over a million Palestinians in the northern half of the Gaza Strip were instructed on Friday morning to leave the area within 24 hours by the Israeli military spokesperson, who said that they would not be allowed to return until further notice. 

Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip follows an unprecedented Hamas-led operation into Israeli-held land last week. Forces from the Qassam Brigades, the military arm of Hamas, briefly seized control over several settlements and took over 100 Israelis hostage. At least 1,300 Israelis were killed in the attack.

At Al-Azhar Mosque, police officers were stationed at each entrance to monitor and search worshippers before prayers began, the eyewitnesses said, adding that they confiscated several Palestinian flags. When the protest started, police erected a security fence around the mosque and started conducting random stop-and-searches in the surrounding streets and at the nearby Attaba Metro Station.

Later, police allowed the protesters to leave the mosque in small groups of no more than 10 people through four of the mosque's entrances, to prevent a large protest from forming again outside.

Al-Azhar, which celebrated Palestinian resistance on Saturday at the outset of the Hamas-led operation, called on Thursday for Arab and Islamic governments to assume a unified stance in support of Palestine and secure the provision of aid in the face of Western support for “the Zionists.” Yet the government has issued instructions to religious authorities to moderate the tone of its statements, said sources informed of the directives who spoke to Mada Masr on condition of anonymity, with an Endowments Ministry source adding that security bodies and directorates also planned to close mosques immediately after the conclusion of Friday prayer. 

Security was also deployed heavily outside a number of Alexandria’s mosques, including the Al-Qaed Ibrahim Sidi Bishr and Madina mosques. Social media users had called for demonstrations in support of Palestine to be held at these mosques on Friday. 

Residents of nearby neighborhoods had gathered carrying Palestinian flags, said sources in the area who spoke to Mada Masr on condition of anonymity, but security personnel cordoned them off and prevented them from moving.

Large numbers of people also gathered at the Al-Qaed Ibrahim and Morsi Abu Abbas public squares where ambulances were stationed to collect blood donations as part of the Hayah Karima Initiative. Dozens gathered to make donations, forming crowds and chanting in support of Palestinians. Security personnel asked them to stop immediately, and crowds complied. 

Two days prior, and just a metro station away from Al-Azhar, a number of Egyptian journalists gathered at the Journalists Syndicate’s headquarters for a demonstration in solidarity with the people of Gaza.

Wednesday’s protest was intended to decry “the inaction of the Egyptian and Arab governments,” according to sources who attended who spoke on condition of anonymity. The protests, they added, attempt to “bridge the gap between the popular and government positions,” arguing that while the public are largely in support of Palestine, the government “stands with European policies.”

Journalist Rasha Azab and lawyer Mahienour al-Massry, who both attended the demonstration, noted the presence of plainclothes security personnel standing opposite the demonstration to monitor it and “take photos of our faces as is routine, but they did not harass us.”

Azab added that the syndicate is considering putting together a “relief committee” based in the headquarters to coordinate collecting and delivering aid.“Syndicate members are in talks with big pharmaceutical companies that usually send urgent aid in times like now,” Azab said, and the syndicate is considering sending  a number of journalists along with a convoy of food supplies “even if they will go until they reach Arish.”

Three successive Israeli airstrikes on the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza put the crossing out of service and prevented the delivery of aid earlier in the week. Aid arrived in Arish from Jordan yesterday, with planes from Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Iraq arriving on Friday.

Demonstrations on Friday against the war on Gaza also took place in a number of capitals and cities across the region, including Beirut, Jerusalem, Baghdad, Tehran, and in different locations in Jordan, Turkey, Qatar, Yemen, and Pakistan.

In Iraq, security forces tightened measures at the embassies in Baghdad, especially those of countries that pledged support for Israel, following calls by the Sadr Movement to mobilize a “march of millions” to support Gaza.

In Jordan, following calls for protest in Amman from the Jordanian opposition, security forces stopped dozens of protesters from reaching the border with Palestine, which is currently closed.

The past few days also witnessed international protests in support of Gaza that were met with varying responses. Dozens of supporters of the Palestinian cause demonstrated in New York on Sunday against the war, while hundreds shared the sentiment in a number of protests in Paris, Berlin, London, Madrid and Rome.

Protesters in Paris were dispersed by the French police using tear gas and water cannons, while France’s interior ministry declared a ban on any protests in solidarity with Palestine.