Menna Adly El-Qei defends Mohamed Sobhi after his outburst at the driver

Poet Menna Adly El-Qei strongly defended artist Mohamed Sobhi after the attack he was subjected to following the spread of a video in which he appeared angry at his driver at the "Afaq" festival at the Hanager Theater.

Al-Qai’i posted an angry comment on her Facebook page about the way the artist was pursued with phones as he left, considering it to be inhumane behavior that deserves to be criminalized.

Al-Qai’i: “This is a nervous breakdown for any sane person… and an illegal scene.” Mena Adly El-Qei wrote in a post on her personal Facebook account: “The idea that there are 20 or 30 people forming a circle around someone, surrounding him, filming him, and not responding to him while he is walking in the street or trying to get somewhere, is enough to cause a nervous breakdown for any sane person… This is inhumane and constitutes a violation and official transgression… It should actually be illegal… The press has its place and should be respected… But the idea that someone can be at any time exposed to anyone pulling out their phone and sticking it in their face is official madness… This is a clear violation and transgression and must be legalized immediately.”

Her post came to reflect the general distress of artists regarding the phenomenon of phones being pointed at them suddenly and being pursued solely for the sake of a “trend”.

The story of the video that set social media ablaze

In the past few hours, a video of the artist Mohamed Sobhi has been circulating after he was honored at the "Afaq" festival, in which he directs a sharp rebuke to his driver for not being next to the car at the moment of his exit.

As the video circulated out of context, criticism against him intensified, with some accusing him of insulting the driver. What was not shown in the video is that the artist had been discharged from the hospital a few days earlier and was unable to stand for long periods.

He was also subjected to a severe crowding of passersby and a large group of people who surrounded him and pointed their phones at him in a way that confused him and increased his anxiety.

Details of Mohamed Sobhi's tribute at the Horizons Festival The Hanager Theatre witnessed yesterday, Tuesday, December 9, the closing of the 11th edition of the Horizons Theatre Festival, which was named after the artist Abdel Warith Asr, under the auspices of the Egyptian Ministry of Culture.

The ceremony was presented by a number of artists, and a group of theater professionals were honored, amidst the presence of the artist Mohamed Sobhi in his capacity as the honorary president of the session.