A demonstration was arranged for Tuesday in front of the Gezira Club in Zamalek to denounce the mass cat killing that recently took place at the club.
Photos which appeared on social media of the incident provoked public anger against the club via such pages and hash tags as “Against Cruelty of Gezira Club” and “Stop Gezira Club Massacre”.
According to Dina ZulFukar, an animal rights activist and member of Gezira Club, the incident constitutes a violation of Article 45 of the constitution guaranteeing the protection of animals. She added that it “shows the total ignorance of those who call themselves elites”.
She added that the killings contradict a call for mercy that is present in all religions.
ZulFukar said that this is not the first time the killing of stray animals has happened at Gezira Club, but that there was now concrete evidence to support the claims.
Tarek Nassar, member of the board of directors at Gezira Club said that the decision to kill the cats sprang from customer complaints that they had started to become violent and rapidly increase in number.
He added that the recent pictures posted on Facebook were taken in October 2013, and do not show the setting clearly enough to prove they had been taken in the club.
Nassar said that the Gezira Club administration was not involved with the cull and that investigations are currently ongoing. He added that if proof emerged there was mass killing of cats, “there will be severe punishments for whoever was involved in it”.
Club member Nariman El-Gabry said that the cats were becoming wild due to some members feeding them, adding that it is probable that the club organised the cull.
Noha Al-Ghandour, another club member, agreed the cats were becoming wild and increasing in number as a result of the irresponsible demeanour of members towards cats.
“It’s like an open zoo,” she said. She added that she was not against the killing of the cats as “this club is a social and sporting club, not for animals”.
