On Sunday, marking the 47th anniversary of the Camp David Accords, dozens of journalists, rights advocates, and political activists gathered on the steps of Egypt’s Press Syndicate. They demanded Egypt’s full withdrawal from the US-brokered agreement, and the 1979 peace treaty with Israel.
Protesters condemned the accords as a historic betrayal and an instrument of submission that normalized relations with a state they recognize as committing sustained acts of aggression against the Palestinian people.
During the demonstration, protesters chanted: “Egyptians, don’t betray your cause, Camp David is your shame” and “Bread, freedom, cancel the agreement.” Palestinian flags waved above the crowd, as many wore black-and-white keffiyehs and carried images showing the devastation wrought on Gaza and its people during Israel's genocide.
Prominent figures in attendance included academic Laila Soueif, Karama Party leader Sayed El-Toukhy, veteran activist Ahmed Douma, civil movement leader Karima El-Hefnawy, and journalist Rasha Azab.
Security forces encircled the Syndicate, erecting barricades along Abdel Khalek Tharwat Street, in an effort to contain the demonstration. Despite the restricting conditions, protesters managed to burn an Israeli flag and stomp on it in front of the crowd. Chants erupted in support of armed resistance: “Resistance is the solution—against traitors and occupiers,” and “Hamas, PFLP, don’t abandon the rifle.”
Protesters also demanded the immediate opening of the Rafah crossing to allow humanitarian aid into besieged Gaza. “Open Rafah, we’ve had enough,” they shouted. Others called for the release of Egyptian detainees imprisoned for pro-Palestine solidarity.
Passersby stopped to take photos or honked their horns in solidarity. Tension escalated when a driver filming the protest was confronted by a security officer and forced to delete the footage.
The incident sparked anger among demonstrators, some of whom broke through the barricades, prompting security to ease traffic and reassert control.
According to an Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights report released last year, at least 186 people have been arrested in 16 separate state security cases since the beginning of Israel's assault on Gaza—all tied to peaceful actions such as holding banners, joining protests, or offering aid.
The Syndicate has witnessed repeated demonstrations since Israel launched its war on Gaza in October 2023. Protesters have consistently called for an end to the genocide, and for urgent humanitarian corridors into the enclave.
The protest unfolded against the backdrop of escalating tensions, as Israel runs to the US raising the alarm regarding Egyptian troop deployments in the Sinai. As Israeli leaders continue to push for the displacement of Palestinians into Egyptian territory, Cairo has struck a defiant posture toward Israel.
While civil protest remain heavily restricted, Egypt has denounced Israel's escalation, and reinforced troop deployments in Sinai. Yet so far, this response has is contained within slowly sharpening rhetoric, stopping short of any real break with Israel.
