Young Egyptians rekindle revolution by collecting more than 7 million signatures against the Morsi government
Cairo (AsiaNews/Agencies) - A new movement of young Egyptians successfully collected 7,540,535 signatures to demand an end to the government of Mohamed Morsi and the domination of the Muslim Brotherhood over Egypt.
Organised by a "rebel" group, the campaign began on 1 May with the aim of 15 million signatures by 30 June, which marks the first anniversary since Egypt's first Islamist president took office.
In one month, movement promoters travelled the length and breadth of the country, collecting signatures door to door, on buses, in restaurants and offices as well as on the internet. Once completed, the petition will be handed over to Prosecutor General Talaat Abdullah.
Along with the collection of signatures, young people are also preparing a protest march of at least one million people that will march on 30 June from Tahrir Square to the presidential palace located in the district of Heliopolis.
"Whoever wants the revolution to prevail must rebel," said Mohamed Abdel-Aziz, one of the movement's organisers.
The young man calls for a new peaceful uprising demanding jobs, freedom and respect for justice, something that no longer exists in Egypt under the Muslim Brotherhood.
"Let 30 June be a decisive day for the revolution," he added.
The success of the rebels' campaign scares the Egyptian president. According to national media, support for the Muslim Brotherhood leader dropped by at least 20 percentage points from the 50 per cent he won in the 2012 presidential election.
On 25 May, at a press conference during Morsi's visit to Ethiopia, a reporter asked the president about the drop in support and the rise of the new movement.
"Some people say I barely got 52 percent of the vote in [last year's] presidential election," Morsi said, "but legally and constitutionally, I am the legitimate president."
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