Thousands protest deteriorating sewage system in Egypt's second city http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/62114.aspx via @ahramonline
9:20 PM - 9 Jan 13 · Details
Thousands protest deteriorating sewage system in Egypt's second city
Political forces join Alexandria's slum-dwelling residents to demonstrate against negligence by sewage authority after numerous complaints ignored and homes flooded following torrential rain
Ahram Online, Wednesday 9 Jan 2013
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Members of political forces including the April 6 Youth group and the Kefaya protest movement joined hundreds of citizens from Alexandria neighbourhoods of El-Agamy, Sidi Gaber, Bab Sharqi and Abu Suleiman, to protest the Holding Authority's failure to effectively conduct maintenance throughout the city as well as their neglect of the informal settlements.
Protesters mocked the El-Nahda (renaissance) project, a plan of reforms for the country launched by the Muslim Brotherhood and promoted by President Mohamed Morsi, chanting, "Enough with the renaissance, enough. Alexandria is gone not coming" and "One, two, where did the renaissance go?"
The demonstration initially began Tuesday night as protestors closed streets in an attempt to draw attention to their homes flooded with sewage water as a result of the breakdown in the country's sewage networks.
A severe shortage of affordable housing has forced impoverished inhabitants of Egypt's second city to live in inhumane conditions: the small shacks of Alexandria's slums are barely big enough to house the families.
Muhammed Abdel-Hakim, a resident of the Abu Suleiman neighbourhood, told Al-Ahram that the director of the sewage authority should be removed from his position, as he ignored complaints made by Hakim and a number of the other slum residents.
