A group of Egyptian journalists and political activists have held a hunger strike in protest at a controversial law adopted last year that imposes stringent restrictions on public demonstrations.

On Saturday, over a dozen Egyptian journalists joined scores of political detainees and activists in an ongoing hunger strike against the restrictive anti-protest law, calling for the release of those jailed under it.

“We begin this battle because we believe that freedom of expression through protesting or writing, or any peaceful method, is an established right,” the journalists said in a statement.

A number of Egypt’s political parties also announced on Friday that they would go on a “symbolic” hunger strike in their offices across the country to voice their solidarity with the hunger strikers behind bars.

Last November, military-backed authorities in Egypt passed a law that bans demonstrations without a permit and toughens penalties on violators. It also authorizes security forces to prevent any public gathering of more than 10 people.

Since then, hundreds of anti-government protesters and Muslim Brotherhood supporters have been jailed for staging demonstrations.

On Friday, Amnesty International called on Egyptian officials to release 23 activists arrested three months ago for defying the contested anti-demonstration law.

The UK-based rights group said the case “appears to be yet another show trial based on scant and dubious evidence that is intended to be a clear warning to anyone who defies Egypt’s protest law.”

Egypt has been the scene of massive anti-government protests with continuous clashes between security forces and supporters of former President Mohamed Morsi since his ouster in July 2013.