The law contains several controversial articles, including one which stipulates that written appeals for all protests must be presented to the local police station 24 hours prior to the event, and that this must include information on the organizers, the reasons for the protest, and its duration.
The law also gives officers the ability to cancel, postpone, or relocate protests, while also establishing no-protest zones around state properties, worship houses, and other buildings.
One report indicates that the law also bans sit-ins altogether and allows security to use force to clear protesters.
Numerous groups have condemned the law as a return to the police state of Mubarak, adding that the Morsi administration attempted to pass similar legislation. The April 6 movement, the Youth Revolutionary Block, and the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information have all condemned the law, while the leader of the Salafist Nour party has called on the interim president not to pass it, adding that laws of this nature should not be passed without a parliament to weigh in.