Ikhwanweb :: The Muslim Brotherhood Official English Website

In an unprecedented union of political activists and workers Cairo 's streets in Egypt witnessed loud opposition. The country's expanding opposition movement including members from Egypt 's strongest opposition the Muslim Brotherhood, engaged in two consecutive demonstrations objecting to the government's current economic and political policies, and the 30 year state of emergency, which has been imposed since the rule of President Hosni Mubarak

The "2 May strike" lasted for three hour as approximately 1,000 political activists and workers rallied against the regime. The strike came as a reaction to the authority's indifference towards a court order issued on April 30^th which ordered the president, prime minister and National Wages Council to set a minimum "fair" wage, to suit the existing living costs and the balance between prices and wages. The protest was prompted by the government's apathy in implementing the order. To date, records have revealed that since December, 2006, there have been 2,026 workers' protests   including strikes, sit-ins and demonstrations. Strikers included disable civilians who demanded special health services and rights to housing, transportation and healthcare

Sunday's demonstration also witnessed a very high media presence from political activists who gathered in Tahrir Square , for a planned march to the People's Assembly. The march initiated by the Muslim Brotherhood MPs and adopted by El-Baradei's NAC, endeavored to attract public and media attention to their calls for political reform. Despite being, banned by the Interior Ministry, the activists insisted on taking to the streets. MP Hamdi Hassan from the MB bloc validated the protest to forestall an expected escalation with security forces'obstinacy in preventing the march

The activists clashed with baton wielding police forces who tried to prevent them from reaching journalists to make statements. Public figures emphasized that they rallied to

support the call for constitutional modifications of articles 76, 77, and 88

Although forces succeeded in banning the protestors from reaching their planned destination, they did not succeed in banning the protestors from expressing their opinion. According to Hassan the opposition, were able to "seize the right to demonstrate in public again" in face of a ban on street protests since 2006