Hundreds of protesters marched from Nour Mosque in Abbasseya to the presidential palace in Heliopolis on Tuesday to demand the cancellation of the constitutional referendum. The first round of voting has already taken place across 10 governorates on Saturday 15 December, while the second round is scheduled for Saturday 22 December.
Opposition forces are calling on the people to vote ‘no’ in the final round of the referendum, and to develop a new draft based on national consensus, free of Islamist domination.
Members of the Popular Current and the Free Front for Peaceful Change participated in the march.
“We say ‘no’ to the constitution,” and “Leave, leave,” they chanted.
Protesters raised images of the martyrs and banners reading “No to the constitution.” They also distributed a leaflet outlining controversial articles in the draft.
Those leading the march carried a large banner stating, “We are all the National Salvation Front,” and “No to a constitution without freedoms.”
Another march from Nasr City’s Rabaa al-Adaweya Mosque also arrived at the palace. Members of the Revolutionary Socialists, the Popular Current and the Revolutionary Democratic Coalition participated, holding banners that read "If you do not want [Egypt] to be like Iran, say 'no' to the Brotherhood constitution."
Other banners read "Down with the rule of the supreme guide," and "Tell Morsy in Ettehadiya, you have already lost legitimacy."
Former spokesperson for the Revolutionary Democratic Coalition Sedqi al-Sagheer said the march aims to uncover voting violations in the first phase of the referendum, adding that the initial results do not represent the will of the Egyptian people. He called on everyone to vote 'no' in the second stage.
Eleven movements and political parties, including the Egyptian Socialist Party, Tagammu Party and the Mina Daniel Movement, undersigned a statement they distributed during the march, titled "The people dropped the Brotherhood's null constitution." The statement held Morsy responsible for the recent violence.
Also on Tuesday evening, another march against the referendum went from Mostafa Mahmoud Mosque to Tahrir Square.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
