Statement: No to the military coup in Egypt

We note with grave concern recent developments in Egypt including the decision on 14 June 2012 by the Higher Constitutional Court to dissolve parliament and allow the candidate of the old regime, Ahmad Shafiq, to contest the presidential election. The court decision followed the announcement of a law on 13 June 2012 giving military intelligence and police permission to arrest civilians on suspicion of “crimes and misdemeanours harmful to the government,” “resisting orders issued by those in power or assaulting them,” “destruction of public property or historic monuments,” “obstructing traffic,” “strikes at institutions that serve the public interest or assaulting the right to work,” and “intimidation and thuggery.” Then on 17 June the Supreme Council of Armed Forces issued another decree that grants Scaf powers to initiate legislation, control the budget, appoint a panel to draft the new constitution and postponing elections until a new constitution is approved.

This is a military coup designed to wipe out all the gains of the last 18 months. We condemn the assault on democratic freedoms that these decisions represent and declare our support for all Egyptians who are resisting this attempt by the military to restore the old regime.

We also affirm our continued solidarity with the struggle for social justice in Egypt, and in particular with the ongoing efforts to build an independent workers’ movement which can lead the fight for ‘bread, freedom and social justice’. The unity between the social and democratic goals of the revolution which is expressed in this slogan is an inspiration to millions around the world who want to resist the rule of the 1%.

We call on the Egyptian military and civilian authorities to:

• reinstate parliament
• annul the Constitutional Declaration of 17 June
• respect Egyptian citizens’ right to strike, protest and organise independent trade unions

Katy Clark, MP; John McDonnell, MP; Vice-President Fire Brigades Union Jim Barbour,; Andy Reid, PCS National Executive; Mark Campbell, UCU National Executive; Tom Hickey, UCU National Executive; Raymond Morrell, Chair, London and Eastern Unite Aerospace and Shipbuilding Industrial Sector Committee, London Underground Engineering Branch, RMT

• Add your name by clicking here
  
  
• Download a hard copy of the statement and collect signatures
• Pass this model motion through your union branch / trades council
• Send a letter of protest to the Egyptian authorities via the Egyptian embassy in London condemning the recent attacks on democratic freedoms
• Print out these signs and take photos to send us (menasolidarity@gmail.com or http://www.facebook.com/mena.solidarity)
• Invite a speaker from MENA Solidarity Network to address your union branch about current events and report from the recent delegation to Egypt. Contact us by email menasolidarity@gmail.com