Activists will march on 26 April to demand repeal of protest law

Egyptian activists held a press conference on Thursday in front of the presidential palace in Cairo to announce an escalation in their demands for the country's controversial protest law to be repealed, Al-Ahram's Arabic news website reported.

Those participating in the conference included the April 6 movement, the Revolutionary Socialists and the Egyptian Popular Current, in addition to Nourhan Hefzy, wife of prominent activist Ahmed Douma, who was recently sentenced to three years in jail for breaking the protest law.

The groups announced a march on Saturday, 26 April, beginning at 5pm in front of Saraya Al-Kubba and continuing until the Ittihadiya presidential palace.

Mohamed Youssef, a member of April 6's Democratic Front, called on interim President Adly Mansour to use his legislative powers to repeal the protest law.

Youssef also said that revolutionary movements will mobilise in many other governorates on Saturday.      

On Tuesday, a group of female activists began a sit-in outside the presidential place as part of a series of events calling for the law's cancellation. Those at the conference on Thursday said that the sit-in would be halted until 26 April, the date of the march.

Three prominent activists of the January 2011 revolution – Ahmed Douma, Ahmed Maher and Mohamed Adel – all received three-year sentences and LE50,000 fines for breaking the protest law in December 2013.

Another prominent activist, Alaa Abdel-Fattah, is being tried on the same charges.

Thousands of others, mainly supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, have been arrested during demonstrations thanks to the law, which bans all protests not pre-approved by authorities.