Egyptian speaker chased away by mob at SOAS
Mohammad Tahboub and Tom King
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7im3vcp7GfM&desktop_uri=/watch?v%3D7im3vcp7GfM&app=desktop]
Pro-coup talk called off after Muslim Brotherhood protest
A video published online and obtained by The SOAS Spirit shows a representative of the Egyptian Tamaroud movement being chased out of a Palestine Society event in the Khalili Lecture theatre by angry Muslim Brotherhood protesters.
Tamaroud is a popular Egyptian movement that played a significant role in the June 30th cou and revolution that led to the ouster of President Morsi.
The protestors, behaving in an aggressive manner, attempted to approach and harass the speaker who was quickly ushered out of an emergency exit by SOAS security guards.
Around 30 Brotherhood supporters chanted ”fall, fall the rule of the military” as other students watched in amazement as a highly anticipated lecture was abruptly cancelled. It is unknown whether the group included SOAS students or not but it is observed that the protesters were highly organised having prepared to disrupt the event beforehand.
In a statement to the Students’ Union, the SOAS Palestine Society blamed the disruption on “non-members of the SOAS community”, saying they did so “in order to silence and intimidate our invited speakers and attendees, and to forestall any debate.” There is no proof whatsoever that the protesters did not include SOAS students. The Muslim Brotherhood has been banned in Egypt following the military coup which installed General Sisi as the country’s new leader. Mohammed Morsi, Egypt’s first civilian elected president, appeared in court last week,
alongside other leading Muslim Brotherhood members, on charges of inciting the killing of protestors during demonstrations outside the Presidential Palace in December 2012.
The SOAS Spirit understands the Students’ Union intends to review the society room booking procedure in light of this incident to ensure that such security concerns can be identified in advance.
