"Sisi out": Corruption allegations drive protestors to streets of Egypt
- Zachary Basu, author of Axios Sneak Peek
Protesters shout slogans during a rare anti-government protest in downtown Cairo. Photo: Oliver Weiken/picture alliance via Getty Images
Hundreds of Egyptians took to the streets on Friday and Saturday to demonstrate against President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, who has been accused of corruption and lavish spending while the rest of the country suffers under his economic austerity policies, the BBC reports.
Why it matters: Protests have been rare in Egypt since Sisi — condemned by many as a brutal authoritarian who has jailed thousands of his political opponents — first took power in a military coup in 2014. Hundreds of protestors on Friday filled Tahrir Square, a key site in the 2011 Egyptian uprising that led to the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak. On Saturday, about 200 people chanting that Sisi is "the enemy of god" demonstrated in Suez, leading to dozens of arrests, per the BBC.
Go deeper: Trump reportedly called Sisi "my favorite dictator" at the G7