Thousands of Egyptians took to the streets of Cairo and other major cities Friday and Saturday to demand President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi step down over allegations of government corruption. The demonstrations were triggered by social media posts accusing Sisi and other officials of misusing public money. Police and security forces deployed tear gas and arrested several hundred protesters, according to local reports. Protests have been effectively banned in Egypt since Sisi came to power following the 2013 overthrow of former President Mohamed Morsi and launched a widespread crackdown on dissent. On Sunday, Egyptian authorities detained noted human rights lawyer Mahienour el-Masry, who is defending some of those arrested during the demonstrations. She has previously been imprisoned and tried twice for taking part in anti-government protests.
Egyptian President Sisi is set to address the U.N. today as part of the Climate Action Summit in New York. He will also address the U.N. General Assembly this week. The Wall Street Journal recently reported President Trump, while waiting for President Sisi to arrive for a meeting during last month’s G7 summit, called out, “Where’s my favorite dictator?”