Anti-Coup Pro-Democracy Alliance Reaffirms ‘Youth Are Mainstay of Revolution’ Week Two

The Anti-Coup, Pro-Legitimacy National Alliance expresses deep appreciation for the steadfastness of the great Egyptian people against the coup, with Egyptian youth in the forefront, during the "Youth Are the Mainstay of the Revolution" protest week.

The Alliance also greatly values the role of Egyptian students who foiled the putschists’ heinous plots, with the start of studies postponed in many universities and disrupted in others. Students have also brought down the decision that was close to being issued to delegate powers of arrest to university staff.

The Alliance has therefore decided to extend "Youth Are the Mainstay of the Revolution" protest activities for another week.

The Egyptian people and students are smarter than the coup regime, which tried to trick them into ending their anti-coup demonstrations. The regime offered bribes in the shape of waiving school fees, and waiving dormitory fees for university students, demonstrating their distorted view of the free Egyptian people, who reject injustice even if they are to suffer poverty and need. Even students at high schools for girls taught the coup minister a lesson he will not forget.

Egyptian youth have proven they are indeed the mainstay of the Revolution. They sprang forth from one end of the country to the other, answering the call of the Revolution and demonstrating in all corners of the country during the "Youth Are the Mainstay of the Revolution" peaceful protest week.

University and school students participated positively in all protest activities, in spite of the security and administrative repression to which they were subjected.

The Alliance condemns the referral of some university students to disciplinary boards for peacefully demonstrating against the military coup. It also condemns the actions of university security personnel at some universities in allowing thugs to enter the campuses and assault students opposed to the military coup.

The Alliance calls on all Egyptian students to set aside their differences and unite with the Egyptian people around the single national goal of defeating the military coup, and of gathering during the coming week under the same slogan of "Youth Are the Mainstay of the Revolution".

The Alliance further calls on them to adhere to the peacefulness of their Revolution, to preserve their university and school property and not write on their walls, which is all owned by the students, and the cost of any repairs will have to be deducted from educational resources.

O Egyptian youth and students: Egypt places a lot of hope in you. Egyptian history shows that all free Egyptian leaders and heroes started out in the universities – the true manufacturers of patriotic leaders, women and men. Indeed, students were the mainstay of the 1919 revolution and the January 25 (2011) Revolution.

We ask God to make this school year one of victory for the Egyptian Revolution, a return to democratic and constitutional legitimacy, and of success for the students in realizing their hopes and dreams for the well-being of our beloved Egypt.

May God protect our homeland and its people, and grant victory to the true revolutionaries of Egypt.

The Anti-Coup, Pro-Legitimacy National Alliance

Cairo: Friday, September 27, 2013