Protests Rattle Hurghada

In what has not been seen since the Jan. 28th Revolution, large protests have been held around Hurghada, both pro and anti-Morsi.

While the pro-Morsi protesters took up camp in downtown Dahar of Hurghada, the anti-Morsi protesters rallied around Sheraton Street, one of the main tourist areas of Hurghada. They started in a small square in front of the Bella Vista Hotel, and spent about an hour hyping the crowd up. By this time the protest was only a few hundred strong.

After about an hour, the protesters moved down the Sheraton street. It was truly incredible to watch. To protect the protesters from the traffic and any unwanted individuals entering the flurry, the back end was sealed by a huge banner and the sides were initially sealed off by people carrying rope. The protest soon swelled however, and a human chain was created as an add-on to the rope. The protest stretched far down Sheraton as people moved down the street, diverting traffic.

Despite there being some frustrated drivers, most who passed through honked in support of the protesters walking through the street. While the protests here don't compare at all to those witnessed in Cairo, we have not seen protests like this since one or two days during the January Revolution. It's an indication of just how serious the situation at the moment really is.

Alongside chanting "The people demand the fall of the regime," protesters had a few colourful chants. From comparing Morsi to Mubarak, and calling them both liars, "Morsi is a failure" was also chanted. Find below photos from Hurghada's anti-Morsi rally today, along with some videos. Men and women, veiled and unveiled, and even children partook in Hurghada's rally tonight.

A young boy riles up the crowd

**All photos copyright Susan Richards-Benson. Please contact me for high-res photos**

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