US embassy cable - 05CAIRO2516

UNCLAS CAIRO 002516 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, PGOV, KDEM, ASEC, EG 
SUBJECT: EGYPT: "ENOUGH" BACK ON THE STREETS IN CAIRO 
 
REF: A. CAIRO 2433 
     B. CAIRO 1413 
 
Sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly. 
 
1. (SBU) As of 1630 local time on March 30, 300-400 
demonstrators from Kifaya ("Enough"), a loose coalition of 
opponents of the GOE, were gathered in front of the Press 
Syndicate building (about one mile from the U.S. Embassy) 
holding banners rejecting a fifth presidential term for 
Mubarak, rejecting "inheritance of rule" (a slogan aimed at 
Presidential son Gamal Mubarak), and demanding a repeal of 
the emergency law.  The protesters met at the Press Syndicate 
when thousands of riot troops blocked access to the 
Parliament building.  (Comment:  Embassy operations were not 
affected by today's demonstration.  End comment.) 
 
2. (SBU) Although the demonstration (and especially police 
efforts to contain it) again caused serious traffic snarls in 
Central Cairo, major arteries remained open and there have so 
far been no reports of arrests or violence.  However, arrests 
of demonstrators, and particularly organizers, may be 
inevitable - especially because the GOE gave notice several 
days ago that this particular demonstration would not/not be 
authorized. 
 
3. (SBU) This demonstration is the latest of a series of 
small but well publicized actions by Kifaya.  Kifaya is an 
umbrella group comprising a wide spectrum of regime opponents 
ranging from communists to Nasserists to Islamists.  The 
group members' only common denominators appear to be 
opposition to the Mubarak regime and opposition to 
"U.S.-Zionist imperialism."  (See ref B for more information 
on Kifaya and its activities.) 
 
4. (SBU) Security forces' decision not to block the streets 
today allowed a larger (but still modest) number of 
demonstrators to congregate than during the Muslim 
Brotherhood's thwarted March 27 demonstration (ref A).  At 
that time, the massive security operation sealed off most of 
Central Cairo's principal arteries, essentially paralyzing 
the city for several hours. 
 
 
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http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/cairo 
 
You can also access this site through the 
State Department's Classified SIPRNET website. 
 
GRAY