Picture: Margaret Gordon, Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year, Nadine el-Enany, Defend the Right to Protest and Susannah Mengesha, who won a case against the police ‘kettling’ of demonstrators in England recently

A draft law which demands that protesters give notice of planned demonstrations, and allows the police to create exclusion zones in front of key government buildings and other regular protest sites is beginning to stir resistance among trade unionists and revolutionary activists. The law has been condemned across the political spectrum, even by groups which have been until now supportive of the current military regime.

Leading trade unionists backing the campaign against the law include transport worker activist Ismail Al-Ashari, Nagi Rashad from the South Cairo Grain Mills, and Mohamed Hardan, president of the Cairo Drinking Water Company Workers Union. They joined a rally against the law on 22 October in downtown Cairo.

Another protest has been called for Saturday 26th October in the centre of Cairo.

The gathering protests against the new law come after months of a vicious clampdown which has seen well over 1,000 killed by the security forces and army in an attempt to crush protests in support of deposed president Mohamed Morsi. Thousands have also been arrested and detained. University campuses have been a particular target for repression, with mass arrests of students and dozens of academics also reportedly detained.

What you can do:

• Print out these posters [anti_protest_poster_bw and anti_protest_poster] and leaflet to distribute and send us a solidarity picture via Facebook or Twitter (@menasolidarity)
• Pass a resolution in your union branch condemning the anti-protest law
• Send a letter of protest to the Egyptian embassy, 26 South Street, London, W1K 1DW