Egypt: Hundreds defy military to march against new law – video

Demonstrators marched through the streets of Cairo against new laws restricting the right to protest on Saturday 26 October. 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…

Egypt: Resistance to anti-protest law begins to grow

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…

Video: Haitham Mohamedain addresses Unite the Resistance Conference

Egyptian revolutionary activist and labour lawyer Haitham Mohamedain addressed hundreds of trade unionists at the Unite the Resistance ‘Organising to Win’ conference on 19 October in specially recorded video. Haitham said: “Firstly I would like to thank the comrades in the UK for the broad solidarity campaign with the Egyptian workers’ movement, as well as…

Bahrain: Korean unions condemn tear gas shipment

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) demanded that the Korean government refuse to grant an export license for a huge shipment of tear gas to Bahrain. Campaigners from BahrainWatch have exposed how the Bahrain authorities are seeking to replenish their supplies of tear gas after the massive wave of repression this summer against opposition…

UPDATED Egypt: Sacked workers occupy minister’s office

Updated 3 October: the sit-in at the Ministry of Labour was forcibly broken up by the police, but the workers are continuing their campaign for justice, organising a demonstration at the General Prosecutor’s office (above) in protest at police brutality. By Haitham Mohamedain – original Arabic here Dozens of sacked workers have begun a sit-in…

Sudan: Over 50 killed in crackdown on fuel protests

Protests have been spreading across Sudan over the last week over cuts to fuel subsidies imposed by the regime of Omar al-Bashir. The video below shows demonstrators marching in the street chanting “Freedom” – hurriya. They have been met with brutal force by the Sudanese authorities, with at least 50 shot dead by the police…

UK: Union leaders back campaign for Haitham Mohamedain

Picture: Jane Loftus from the Communication Workers’ Union Dozens of trade union leaders signed a statement in solidarity Haitham Mohamedain, the Egyptian labour lawyer and revolutionary activist who was arrested last week, during TUC Congress in Bournemouth. Activists from MENA Solidarity also raised the crackdown on Egyptian revolutionaries, opponents of the military government and the…

Video: Haitham Mohamedain speaks out about his arrest

Egyptian labour lawyer Haitham Mohamedain gives a full account of his arrest and detention in this interview with Gigi Ibrahim. Haitham’s arrest on 5 September sparked an international campaign for his release and protests across Egypt. He thanked all those who had supported him, adding: “this amazing and powerful solidarity had the greatest impact in…