Egypt: Massive Protests Continue over Red Sea Islands Deal, Dozens Arrested
Local Editor
After the Egyptian Parliament voted to back a treaty to hand over the two uninhabited Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanfir to Saudi Arabia, a decision which President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is expected to ratify soon, the north African country has been gripped by massive protests.
Although Egypt remains a state of emergency, furious protestors took to the streets, branding the plans as "treason".
Meanwhile, as many as 40 people were detained amid calls on social media for mass protest against Saudi deal on Friday at Tahrir Square.
Egyptian police stormed the homes of political opponents of the deal, arresting dozens in raids in Cairo and at least 10 provinces across the country.
The Friday protests have been called for by the Social Democratic Party and several other parties and groups.
So far thousands of people backed a Facebook page named "Giving up land is treason," which urges people to protest in Cairo's Tahrir Square, birthplace of the 2011 ‘Arab Spring' uprising. The page shows a box full of Saudi cash, which it describes as the title deeds for the islands.
Opponents of the plan said Egypt's sovereignty over the islands dates back to 1906, before Saudi Arabia was founded.
The plan to sell the islands to Saudi Arabia, which has given Egypt billions of dollars of aid, was first announced last year and has since become mired in political protest and legal action.
Consequently, President Sisi is losing much of the popularity he enjoyed when he overthrew the Muslim Brotherhood in 2013.
The Free Egyptians Party, usually supportive of the president, issued a strong denunciation of the treaty.
In a statement, the party said: "Our patriotic and historic responsibility requires us to confirm that Tiran and Sanfir islands were and continue to be under Egyptian sovereignty."
The statement also backed a court ruling which blocked the islands deal earlier this year. As legal action rumbles on, the matter will next be taken up by the Supreme Constitutional Court.
For their part, Saudi and Egyptian officials claim the islands belong to the kingdom and were only under Egyptian control because Riyadh had asked Cairo in 1950 to protect them.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team
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