Jun 042013
 

Riot police wielding batons beat and dragged disabled workers in the Egyptian provincial town of Zagazig last week. Hundreds of disabled people who are employed by the Education Department in Sharqiyya province on poverty pay are continuing their sit-in on the steps of the local government buildings despite the attack.

 

Umran al-Khalifa, a law graduate who works as a teacher said: “The sit-in is because we have only temporary contracts. The government of Kamal al-Ganzouri made a decision in 2011 to offer disabled employees like us permanent jobs across the country, but the new local governor has refused to implement the decision.” Umran believes that the change of policy reflects the priorities of the new administration in Cairo. He added “the deputy told me, ‘if you join our party, I’ll make sure you get a permanent job.”

 

Between 100 and 250 disabled workers are taking part in the protest, sleeping out in tents on the steps of the governors’ offices. 

 

The riot police moved in to try and end the sit-in late last week, another activist, Fatima Musa Halim added. “We were just sitting there peacefully when we were attacked. Some thugs came and broke things and said we caused the damage. Then the Central Security Forces troops hit me and they dragged us away from the sit-in. We can’t survive on our wages, as prices are so high, but we are paid only 70 Egyptian pounds a month (7 UK pounds)

 

Mohammed, an administrator in the Sharqiyya Education department, sums up the mood of many on the sit-in: “I want to put the Minister of the Interior to trial for what the police did to us.” He also says he is frustrated and angry with the official representatives of disabled people, who have done nothing to help him and his colleagues in the fight for basic dignity. “The head of the National Council for People with Special Needs should resign. We have no confidence in this organisation.” 

 

Six of the protesters began a hunger strike on Sunday. Mahmud Manazm and Samah Attiyya spoke to reporters by phone from inside the governor’s office. “There are six of us inside,” said Mahmud. “Some of us have heart disease, some high blood pressure. We want the world to know that the Egyptian police attacked disabled people, beat them on the head and dragged them in the street.” 

 

“No one is listening to us” added Samah, “There is no freedom and no democracy here.” 

 

Youth activists from Zagazig’s revolutionary groups, including the Revolutionary Socialists, Egyptian Democratic Party, the Popular Socialist Alliance and the Constitution Party visited the sit-in with messages of support and food. Revolutionary activists were also planning to bring some of the protesters to Cairo for a press conference to get their message out to a wider audience. 

 DPAC have sent a message of support and solidarity to the workers