Magdi Qarqar, a leading figure in the National Alliance in Support of Legitimacy, has denied that the group's decision not to march on Tahrir Square on Friday was part of a manouevre for a political deal.
"It was to save the blood that the coup wants to shed," Qarqar claimed.
Qarqar also said the decision is not the result of divisions within the alliance. "We will continue to demonstrate,” he said. “All our decisions are calculated.”
The alliance had announced in a statement late night Thursday that the demonstrations on Friday would be limited to short marches, and that large-scale protests are planned in Rabaa al-Adaweya, al-Nahda Square and Tahrir Square in coming weeks.
“We will only chant prayers on Friday,” Qarqar stressed.
Sherif Taha, Nour Party spokesperson, said peaceful demonstration is a right that the state must protect in Egypt.
“Preventing clashes between demonstrators will not resolve the political crisis we have,” he argued. “There must be a political solution. And the political parties must make concessions so as to save this nation.”
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
