Former IAEA chief and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei, was denied access to the Journalists Syndicate, where he had intended to visit journalists from the Independent Al- Dostour newspaper in solidarity with their ongoing sit-in.
According to sources, the democracy advocate and opposition leader was banned entry following orders issued by security personnel. Syndicate head, Makram Mohamed Ahmed, asserted that he refused ElBaradei's visit on the grounds that he had not obtained prior permission. Commenting on the incident Makram emphasized that he will not permit ElBaradei to enter the Syndicate, asserting that if he attended it will be very problematic.
Makram added that if ElBaradei wanted to show solidarity with the journalists, he could do so from outside the Syndicate.
In a related incident two priests were also prevented by the security forces earlier this week from attending a meeting held by ElBaradei in Minya. One priest attributed the ban to the regime's fear of an alliance between ElBaradei's National Association for Change and the Coptic Church.
ElBaradei has asserted that he will work in collaboration with political opposition groups, maintaining that amiable meetings and discussions have been taking place between members of the popular Muslim Brotherhood group and others.
The groups have united in their call for peaceful political reform and collaboration, vowing that the time has come for change. The renewed resolutions follow popular resentment of the regime after a sham election was conducted, revealing the true intentions of the ruling regime to monopolize parliament in the presidential bid scheduled for 2011.