A number of Egyptian political youth groups have announced joining independent calls for a mass demonstration in Tahrir Square in central Cairo scheduled for 17 May to “continue the revolution’s demands.”
The protest call focuses in particular on the “absence of social justice” two years after the 25 January uprising that toppled the 30-year autocratic rule of Hosni Mubarak.
“After more than two years, social justice has not been upheld while it was the essence of the revolution’s demands,” Hisham El-Shal, coordinator of Egypt’s Second Revolution of Rage youth protest group, told Ahram Arabic news website.
“Prices and unemployment levels are still on the rise and the poorer social sectors are still marginalised.”
Alongside the group, a number of other youth groups announced their participation in and promotion of the upcoming rally, including the Revolutionary Socialists, the Alliance of Revolutionary Forces, the Free Front for Peaceful Change and the 6 April Movement (Democratic Front).
In the past week, political youth groups have increased their criticism of President Mohamed Morsi, who hails from the Muslim Brotherhood, and his government led by Prime Minister Hisham Qandil.
Tahrir Square was the epicentre of the January 25 Revolution that drove Mubarak out of office.