Women’s rally against activist’s death in downtown Cairo ends peacefully

An all-women protest took to downtown Cairo's streets on Thursday to denounce and mourn the death of the Socialist Popular Alliance Party member Shaimaa al-Sabbagh.

Sabbagh was shot dead last Saturday in Talaat Harb during a peaceful march organized by the Social Popular Alliance marking the anniversary of the January 25 revolution.

Thursday's march ended peacefully after 30 minutes with no arrests and no injuries. Eyewitnesses told Mada Masr that another march ended up joining the rally, with protesters chanting slogans in favor of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and the Interior Ministry.

A Facebook page titled “A women's protest where Shaimaa al-Sabbagh was killed” announced that all women were welcome to participate in today’s rally, even if they weren't affiliated with the party. The protesters did not request a permit for the march from the Interior Ministry, which they consider responsible for the crime they were demonstrating against.

The protest started at 2 pm in front of the Air France office in Talaat Harb Square, where Sabbagh was shot. Participants held flowers in their hands. Men were not allowed to join the rally, except in their capacity as journalists and media representatives.

The march’s organizers created a hashtag for the protests on Twitter called “the martyr of flowers.”

"The bullet that killed Shaimaa on Saturday struck the conscience of those who saw the photographs [of the incident] and did not act — a complete crime in broad daylight," wrote the Kazeboon group, the creator of the page.

A note on the page stated that the women’s rally was not affiliated with any political movement or party, and that the protesters were taking full responsibility for their participation.

"Protesting means death, but the street is ours and we will regain it," journalist and Revolutionary Path Front member Gihan Shaaban told Mada Masr. She added that the police kill, and do not secure the people.

Joanna Joseph, another participant, told Mada that around 3,000 people showed interest in the march on Facebook, but she did not expect that many women to come to the rally. She said the march was planned for 2 pm to guarantee that downtown would be filled with people, and participants would be able to take refuge in nearby shops if violence broke out.

"We do not care about numbers, and we will take refuge in the people of downtown," she said.

Both Shaaban and Joseph are part of a group that formed following the violent State Council protest in 2011, when a woman was brutally violated by police personnel.

 "The group members get together when violence occurs against women," Joseph said.

Eye witnesses reported that two fire trucks, extra security and four police generals were deployed to Talaat Harb Street to secure the protest.

Last Saturday, the Socialist Popular Alliance Party organized a peaceful march from their downtown headquarters to Tahrir Square to place flowers on the revolution's memorial. Security forces interrupted the march in Talaat Harb, dispersing protesters with tear gas and bird shot.

Several protesters were arrested, including Sayed Aboul Ela, who was later released. He said that the police ambushed the demonstrators and arrested him while he was trying to bring Sabbagh to safety after she was shot. Aboul Ela stated that a doctor who tried to help Sabbagh was arrested with him.