Protesters wave a Palestinian flag during a demonstration in Old Cairo. Protests were held in cities across Egypt. Reuters
Protesters wave a Palestinian flag during a demonstration in Old Cairo. Protests were held in cities across Egypt. Reuters
Protesters wave a Palestinian flag during a demonstration in Old Cairo. Protests were held in cities across Egypt. Reuters
Protesters wave a Palestinian flag during a demonstration in Old Cairo. Protests were held in cities across Egypt. Reuters

Hundreds of thousands in Cairo's Tahrir Square protest against Israel's Gaza strikes


Kamal Tabikha
  • English
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Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza

Hundreds of thousand of protesters gathered in cities across Egypt on Friday to condemn Israel's bombardment of Gaza, which has killed more than 4,000 Palestinians.

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El Sisi this week called on the public to go to government-designated areas to show their support for his position on the Israel-Gaza war.

Al Nasr Street in the Nasr City district of Cairo was among the designated protest sites.

But tens of thousands demonstrated across the city, with some breaking through police barricades to reach areas including Tahrir Square.

“The police tried to block us from entering the actual square, but there were so many people pushing through, they just decided to let them through. I haven't seen the square so full of people in a long time,” Ingy El Sayed, 28, who participated in Friday's protests, told The National.

The square was the scene of one of the largest demonstrations on Friday, while thousands also gathered in historic districts of Islamic Cairo and its famed Al Azhar Mosque.

At least 28 protesters were arrested in and around Tahrir Square following clashes with security officers, police officials told The National. The protesters threw rocks at the officers before being apprehended, police said.

Since the start of Israel’s bombardment of the Gaza Strip, demonstrations have been held around the world.

Some of the largest were held in cities including Cairo. Armoured vehicles arrived at the protest areas on Friday to help maintain security.

“With our souls and our blood, Gaza will not be lost,” protesters chanted in Nasr City on Friday.

In Tahrir Square, crowds also chanted “bread, freedom, social justice”, a slogan made popular during 2011 demonstrations that led to Hosni Mubarak being ousted as president.

Prominent opposition figures attended the protest in Tahrir Square, including Gameela Ismail, who in September said she was a candidate for the presidential elections, only to withdraw this month.

Some protesters on Al Nasr Street had their bodies painted with the colours of the Palestinian flag.

“This is injustice and it has to stop. They can’t keep treating Arabs and Muslims like rats and expect us to do nothing in return,” said Ali Ahmed, 26, a resident of Nasr City.

“We will not be silenced now that the President is with us on this. We will go out on the street and call for an end to Israel’s butchery every day for however long it takes.”

Mr El Sisi, who will run against three opponents in December's presidential election, has enjoyed a surge in popularity following a number of impassioned speeches on the war.

The government had been facing criticism for an economic downturn in which inflation rose to record highs and the local currency lost half of its value.

Another demonstration was held at the Rafah crossing on Friday, ahead of the arrival of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

He visited he Egypt-Gaza border crossing to oversee preparations for 20 lorries to carry aid into the Palestinian enclave.

Mr Guterres gave a two-minute address that was regularly interrupted by loud chants from protesters denouncing the war on Gaza.

A witness told The National that the demonstrators approached Mr Guterres, whose security team led him to his car, which took him back to Arish.

Who is Mohammed Al Halbousi?

The new speaker of Iraq’s parliament Mohammed Al Halbousi is the youngest person ever to serve in the role.

The 37-year-old was born in Al Garmah in Anbar and studied civil engineering in Baghdad before going into business. His development company Al Hadeed undertook reconstruction contracts rebuilding parts of Fallujah’s infrastructure.

He entered parliament in 2014 and served as a member of the human rights and finance committees until 2017. In August last year he was appointed governor of Anbar, a role in which he has struggled to secure funding to provide services in the war-damaged province and to secure the withdrawal of Shia militias. He relinquished the post when he was sworn in as a member of parliament on September 3.

He is a member of the Al Hal Sunni-based political party and the Sunni-led Coalition of Iraqi Forces, which is Iraq’s largest Sunni alliance with 37 seats from the May 12 election.

He maintains good relations with former Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki’s State of Law Coaliton, Hadi Al Amiri’s Badr Organisation and Iranian officials.

If you go

The flights

There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.

The trip

Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.

The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.

 

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059

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Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

Updated: October 20, 2023, 5:59 PM`