Over a Hundred Islamists Arrested Ahead of Nationwide Protests in Egypt

Egyptian security forces arrested more than 100 Islamist opponents of the government on Friday morning, December 7, ahead of anti-government protests in the country. The Associated Press reported that alongside the arrest of 107 Islamists in Egypt, two senior army officers were shot and killed in separate incidents in Cairo. Egyptian officials, who wished to remain anonymous, stated that two other officers were also injured in these shootings. According to the report, Hani Abdel-Latif, the spokesperson for Egypt's Ministry of Interior, also announced that seven bombs had been defused across the country. The arrests on Friday came after the Salafi Front, with strong conservative tendencies, called for nationwide protests on that day. The aims of this call were stated as an attempt to overthrow the government of Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the President of Egypt, and to defend Islam. The Salafi Front posted a list of mosques for gatherings on its Facebook page and asked its supporters to chant 'Allahu Akbar' and hold the Quran in their hands. This group referred to the Friday protests as the 'Uprising of Young Muslims.' The Muslim Brotherhood also supported these protests but warned of potential violence from intelligence and police forces. This marks the first attempt by Islamists to hold nationwide protests in opposition to the ousting of Mohamed Morsi from the presidency of Egypt last year. Security forces, who had previously stated they would counter these protests, deployed armored vehicles and set up concrete barriers around security headquarters, the presidential palace, and the Ministry of Defense in Cairo.