Egypt: End the military repression!

Statement by the Socialist Alliance national executive

August 16, 2013 – The Socialist Alliance of Australia condemns the massacre of protesters by the Egyptian army during the dispersal on August 14 of sit-ins at Rabea al-Adaweya and Nahda Square by supporters of former president Mohamed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood.

Socialist Alliance restates its solidarity with the Egyptian people’s mass movement against the Morsi government as well our opposition to the July 3 military coup d'état. We call for the release of all political prisoners, the lifting of the month-long emergency rule, the end of monitoring and blocking of electronic communications and the attacks on reporters.

The Egyptian military is seeking to impose its will through bloody repression. Today, supporters of Morsi are targeted, but all forces that may be viewed as a threat to stability for the ruling elites risk being targeted next.

The Western backers of the army also have blood on their hands. Since 1978, the Egyptian military has received a US$1.5 billion annual subsidy from the US. The military is a conduit for imperialist influence including subservience to economic policies dictated by the IMF and World Bank that are responsible for the poverty, lack of opportunity and injustice that are the root cause of the social rebellions.

The US government must immediately end all military aid to Egypt and cease its backing of the bloodstained armed forces.

The unpopularity of the Morsi government and the polarisation in Egyptian society allowed the army to obtain some popular support for its repressive measures.

The military regime exploited mass opposition to the Morsi government to legitimise its use of extralegal, violent repression. The military regime is also seeking to prolong and deepen social polarisation around questions of religion.

Setting itself up as the arbiter between contenders for government power, the military is seeking to demobilise the revolutionary mass movement through a combination of co-option and bloody repression.

The Socialist Alliance adds its voice to those demanding that all political prisoners be released and supports those who are calling for an immediate end to military rule and a civilian-led process to democratically elect a new government.