Students and police clash again at Egypt's Universities - Ahram Online

by Ahram Online

Anti-government student group calls for new protests this week, as clashes break out nationwide between protesters and security personnel

 

Egypt's security forces run towards the main entrance of Al-Azhar University to 

disperse protesters there in Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, March 19, 2014 (Photo: AP)

Clashes broke out between alleged Islamist students and police forces at several Egyptian universities on Sunday as an Islamist alliance calls for more protests against the government.

Students from Cairo University and police clashed near the faculty of medicine near Al-Manial district, where residents also joined in the scuffles as the students reportedly blocked Qasr Al-Ainy Street, a major thoroughfare. Police fired tear gas at the march and shot warning bullets into the air.

Students Against the Coup – a sub-group of the National Alliance to Support Legitimacy, an Islamist coalition formed after the ouster of president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013 – announced via Facebook on Sunday it was launching a new week of protests.

The group said the renewed demonstrations aim to show that the "student movement is ongoing" while also protesting against the government's "suppressing and arresting students".

Over 180 students have been arrested since the start of the academic semester on 11 October, according to the Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression, while Students Against the Coup puts the figure at over 230.

The numbers are likely to climb after today's protests, as the interior ministry announced via Facebook it has already arrested 29 "rioters" during clashes with students in Cairo, Mansoura and Minya on Sunday.

Police forces on Sunday stormed Mansoura University in Daqahliya governorate following clashes between protesting students and on-campus security personnel.

Students staged a march on campus to call for the release of recently detained students while also chanting against the government.

At Tanta University, Gharbiya governorate, limited scuffles broke out between on-campus security and alleged pro-Morsi students, while police fired tear gas in Upper Egypt's Minya during a student march before clashes also broke out between the two sides.

Egyptian universities have faced ongoing unrest as students – mostly loyal to the Muslim Brotherhood, from which Morsi hails – continue to protest against the current government, who they charge with ousting Morsi in a coup.

They have also called for releasing their fellow students arrested in previous demonstrations and clashes.

The government anticipated unrest on campuses this academic year by employing a private security firm to guard 15 public universities nationwide.

However, students launched a protest campaign and defied the new security firm with the start of the academic year last week.

Police have since stormed at least five campuses and arrested dozens of students.

Egypt passed a protest law in November 2013 that bans all but police-sanctioned demonstrations and which has been used to put hundreds of persons in jail.


Ahram Online

Source: http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/113447/Egypt/Politics-/Students-and-police-clash-again-at-Egypts-universi.aspx

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