LUXOR: police on Saturday detained 25 Luxor residents for questioning about their involvement in clashes with police during a protest against government attempts to move the group from their homes to make room for an open-air museum, a security official said.
The detainees are facing charges of “illegal gathering and vandalism, Omar Allameddin, head of the local prosecutor’s office, told the Associated Press.
During a violent demonstration on Friday in the ancient Egyptian city of Luxor, police forcibly prevented hundreds of protesters from entering the Karnak Temple, one of the most famous sites from the Pharaonic era.
The protesters hurled stones at police, who responded by firing tear gas and arresting several of them on the spot.
Nearby tourist bazaars and street lampposts suffered considerable damages, said Allameddin.
Many of the residents who are to be displaced under the new museum plan have refused governments offers of compensation and temporary housing.
Some complain the money is insufficient while others simply do not want to move.
Located on the Nile River, Luxor’s West Bank contains the Valley of the Kings and its famous collection of well-preserved Pharaonic tombs, including King Tutankhamun’s, that draw thousands of tourists daily to the area.
