On the eve of anticipated protests, which activists called "Friday of Rage", the Egyptian capital, Cairo, seemed to be in a state of concern, whose features appeared, especially in popular neighborhoods on the outskirts, while calm dominated the city center and its high-end neighborhoods.

Some features of concern appeared in the citizens ’turnout to automatic teller machines to withdraw money, and some preferred to put their cars in private garages instead of leaving them in front of their homes, while many areas where street vendors gathered were empty without it being clear whether they were instructions from the police or a preference for safety. from their side.

Citizens who spoke to Al-Jazeera Net explained the demand for automatic teller machines (ATMs), despite the fact that the salaries have not yet come, with concern that confrontations will occur on Friday between the police and protesters, resulting in unexpected things that may prevent them from spending their money.

Khaled, a government employee, told Al-Jazeera Net that he is not afraid of his savings in banks, explaining that his fear lies in not being able to spend what he needs during the next two days if disturbances occur, noting that a banking source who refused to be named told Al-Jazeera Net that no movement was detected. High withdrawal of depositors' funds.

A tour of Al-Jazeera Net in a number of central Cairo areas, such as Ramses and Al-A'amal, in addition to the squares of Dokki, Giza and Faisal Street, revealed that it was free of police forces who used to station in these areas and squares over the past few days, in anticipation of the arrival of the demonstrations that took place on the outskirts of the capital and in rural areas in several governorates.

Egyptian police on standby (Al-Jazeera)

Muhammad Ali's call

The artist and businessman Mohamed Ali had called on Egyptians to demonstrate starting from September 20 to protest against President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi's policies and to demand his departure, knowing that Ali had owned a contracting company that dealt with the army for years before he left Egypt and began to uncover incidents of corruption and waste of public money. It belongs to Sisi, his wife and a number of army leaders.

Al-Jazeera Net noticed during its tour in Cairo that the police withdrew from several foundations that they had been linked to during the past days, which observers attributed to two possibilities, the first of which is the desire of police leaders to avoid stressing their members as a result of the continuous alert, as previous security studies confirmed that the continuous alert for several days was One of the reasons for the police collapse on a Friday was the anger of January 28, 2011 during the revolution that toppled former President Hosni Mubarak after 30 years in power.

As for the second possibility, it is that the authority wants to show its confidence in the stability of the situation by withdrawing the police from the apparent foundations, which is evidenced by observers that despite the apparent withdrawal, secret ambushes have spread in many areas in Cairo where pedestrians and motorcyclists are stopped, their identities checked and their cell phones searched. After security reports indicated that activists relied on bicycles for speedy movement, as it happened in the Al-Saf and Al-Ayyat areas, south of Giza, and contributed to the movement of demonstrations between several areas there.

The security forces stressed the shops selling fireworks by banning the sale of any tools during the current month, and waiting for any new instructions in this regard, according to workers in the field of holding wedding parties, they complained to Al-Jazeera Net about the loss of the opportunity to sell these games to weddings that usually take place at the weekend. .

In Giza, adjacent to Cairo, garage owners said that there is an unusual turnout from car owners to park their cars inside, for fear of clashes in the main streets between the police and demonstrators that had previously occurred in these areas from 2013 to 2015.

Al-Jazeera Net observed that a number of the main streets were empty of cars that their owners used to park in them to the point where car owners struggle to find a place to park their cars on the street.

A feeling of reassurance

In contrast to the tension evident in some regions and in the outskirts of the capital, the high-end areas seemed indifferent, as there are no manifestations of tension and anxiety among citizens about something significant happening tomorrow, according to a tour of Al-Jazeera Net in a number of areas of Dokki, Zamalek and Mohandessin.

Hossam - a resident of the Roxy area east of Cairo - said that a feeling of reassurance prevails this time that nothing disturbed the situation, explaining to Al-Jazeera Net that all the worrying news is only found on opposition channels abroad, which are generally located in remote villages and areas.

During the past few days, social media platforms have issued the hashtag "Friday of anger, 25 September" calling for demonstrations on this day, in continuation of the series of protests that have spread to a number of regions and villages since the call for demonstrations on September 20, and witnessed violent clashes between residents and police forces that resulted in the arrest Dozens of demonstrators and a number of police cars burned.

The police were forced to impose a curfew in the areas of Al-Saf, Al-Ayat and Atfih to try to control the protests, according to what police leaders told citizens, but without an official announcement of the imposition of this ban.

4 days of demonstrations in limited places and intermittent times force Sisi to extend the period of reconciliation in real estate, and if it succeeds # Friday_Anger_September 25, the pace of concessions from the army will accelerate, and if the protest continues until # Friday_Anger_October, the collapse will begin, and if the numbers and regions increase to October 6, we will all celebrate the departure of # Sisi

- AMR ABD ELHADY (@ amrelhady4000) September 24, 2020

# Leave_O_Sissi # Friday_Anger_September 25 https://t.co/Z3JOsdp5OC

- lonaa (@ Lona08832128) September 24, 2020

# Leave_O_Sisi, it is the end of the president of demolishing homes of oppression, displacing them, demolishing mosques, destroying the economy and increasing its debts. # Friday_Angry_September 25

- Mohammed (@ Mohamme61448060) September 24, 2020

#Friday_Ager_September 25 pic.twitter.com/EL9Mouup1k

- Anonymous (@hhvvbnnvhjbvvnn) September 24, 2020

Ian was the outcome of the movement, whether completed or not, but very happy


because all the experiences and history say that the result is inevitable for the benefit of the people, but this timing is for our Lord # Friday_Anger_September 25 # Leave_O_Sissi

- Saint Egypt (@ v6lVjOLGGyCjnSb) September 24, 2020