In Egypt, freedom of expression and assembly are extremely restricted. This is also noticeable in the protests by climate activists at the conference site of the world climate summit in Sharm el-Sheikh. Luisa Neubauer shares her observations and vents her anger.
According to the leading German activist from Fridays for Future, the possibility of protesting at the world climate conference in Egypt is a “shit show”. “It’s completely absurd. The Egyptian regime is talking about empowering young people, wants to present itself as open and free and seriously means to get away with it. That makes many of us very angry here,” said Neubauer of the German Press Agency in Sharm el Sheikh.
Behind the United Nations, which controls the conference site, the “entire Egyptian apparatus” is recognizable. It was the “work of a dictatorship,” said Neubauer. Some activists from the climate movement Fridays for Future (FFF) protested at the conference site. A smaller group of mostly young people called for an end to the “Blahblahblah” and commitments to finance climate damage in poorer countries. “Show us the money,” was written on a sign. Another read, “We are in the midst of a health emergency.”
Some Egyptian security guards in civilian clothes also appeared at the protest and filmed the protest. There were no incidents. In Egypt, freedom of expression and assembly are extremely restricted. Protests are effectively forbidden. Outside the conference site, which is under UN supervision, demonstrations are permitted by prior arrangement and at specific times in a remote, specially designated area.
Local accommodation is also a form of restriction, said Neubauer. At the COP26 in Glasgow, the group “slept with great people. We had breakfast there, we could cook there, shop. That’s not possible here, there is no real civil society here in Sharm.” In view of the prices in the city of up to 500 euros per night, participation is “priceless for many, we depend on donations.” Her tour group also asked for drinking water at her reception – in vain.