I was invited yesterday to iftar at the Kafr Abu Goma’a village, by the Qalyoubiya real estate tax collectors. After the meal was over, one said: “Metgamma3een 3and elnabi inshallah (Hopefully we’ll gather again in the presence of the prophet – in reference to pilgrimage).” Someone answered back: “And in Jerusalem.”
From the Daily News Egypt:
Over 1000 rioters in Qalyoubia attacked on Thursday the home of Ramadan Al-Zeini, a member of parliament for the ruling National Democratic Party, suspecting him of having connections with pyramid scheme mastermind Rayan Al-Qalyoubia.
He was dubbed “Rayan Al-Qalyoubia” by the media in reference to the infamous 1980s’ scam hatched by Ahmad El Rayan, who was accused of collecting money from citizens for high-interest rate investment, after which pyramid schemes were made illegal in Egypt.
Police used tear gas to disperse the angry rioters who also destroyed shops in Qalyoubia, a governorate north of Cairo, security sources said.
The riot began as a protest by hundreds of village residents who had been defrauded of their savings by a man who, the press reported, had amassed around LE 300 million by promising to invest their money and pay them regular returns.
The villagers say the man stopped paying them several months ago and had since disappeared, according to the sources.
Protesters fired shots in the air, burned rubber tyres, and stormed Al-Zeini’s house, ransacking it and dumping his possessions onto the street.
They also threatened to detonate a gas cylinder in Al-Zeini’s home.
The rioters later looted and destroyed at least six shops they suspected were connected to the scammers, and burned 15 cars parked in front of Al-Zeini’s home.
Yesterday 1500 workers went on strike at the privately-owned Iron Industries factory in the 6th of October City, over allowances and work conditions. The company is owned by Unsi Sawiris. The strike started by the end of the first work shift at 3pm and was joined by the workers of the second shift, lasting till 8pm. The strike ended with the management promising the workers they’ll respond to their demands with the beginning of the financial year (end of July).
Also yesterday, microbus drivers went on strike in Qalyoubiya, north of Cairo, protesting fines imposed by the province governor, while in the western oasis of Fayoum around 1,000 farmers demonstrated in front of the Fayoum Sugar Factory protesting the company’s delay in buying their crop.
Today, the workers at the state-owned Light Means of Transportation Production Company (which assembles motorcycles and bikes) staged a sit-in at 4pm. The industrial action ended around 7pm.
I don’t know the number of the workers involved (but I think they may be around one thousand). You can click on the banner below to download a statement by the Workers Coordination Committee which includes the workers’ demands.
The WCC had put this statement earlier in the day when the sit-in started. I learned later from a socialist activist that the sit-in ended around 7pm with the govt meeting some of the workers’ demands. Still no details available.
Meanwhile, the Mansoura-España Garments Company workers factory occupation continues. The workers do not trust the deal reached between the MPs, Labor Ministry and the bank owners, so they are continuing their sit-in fearing Al-Masraf Al-Muttahid Bank will shut down their source of income.