CAIRO: Around 150 students demonstrated Monday in Cairo and Ain Shams universities, while other students spent the day playing music, football and table tennis.
But while the Cairo University demonstration was tame, clashes erupted between protestors and security forces at Ain Shams.
According to Diaa El Sawy, spokesperson of the April 6 Movement in the university, which had called for a day of anger and strikes, 53 students were arrested. Most of them were released almost immediately, while about nine remained in police custody – three belonging to the movement and six affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood.
According to Brotherhood student sources, security forces arrested five of their students in Ain Shams University as well as an Al-Masry Al-Youm photographer. Police also reporteldy attacked passersby in the street
The demonstrators demanded subsidies for university fees and books, updated curricula to prepare them for the job market, the lifting of all constraints on student activities, the replacement of Ministry of Interior security on campus with civil security, and the release of all detained students.
“We will hold fast to our demands for as long as it takes, said Mohamed Mohey, Brotherhood spokesman at Cairo University.
The students organized an exhibition showing pictures of previous demonstrations and other activities. Then they marched across the vast campus before protesting in front of the main administrative building.
“We demand that [learning] computer [skills] and English become part of our curricula and that we receive training to qualify us in the job market, Mohey told Daily News Egypt.
Demonstrators also called for the release of Ahmed Kordy, a law school student who was arrested for his activism against the recent war on Gaza.
Meanwhile, official student unions organized concerts and football matches. At Ain Shams, singer Mohamed Hamaqy reportedly gave a live performance.
Demonstrators were seen marching alongside football and table tennis games, with a background of pop and nationalistic music, played by a DJ.
“Today we are organizing the Dean Football Cup accompanied by other student activities; we have been preparing for this day for two weeks, said Osama Abdel Moneim, president of the student union at the faculty of commerce.
Abdel Moneim said most of the demonstrators’ demands were baseless. “This year, subsidies for fees and books have increased by LE 300,000, added to the original LE 1.5 million. We also have student organizations like ‘Our Vision’ that offer free courses and training at international companies, he said. Concerning security interference in student activities and student arrests, Abdel Moneim said he has never witnessed anything of the sort. “If I knew someone who was arrested, I would go myself to complain, he said. A delegation from the demonstrators met with Hossam Kamel, president of Cairo University, who pledged that he would increase book subsidies and provide free courses at the university.
Kamel also promised to meet all the students on Wednesday at the main auditorium to discuss their problems. While students received this promise with optimism, Mohey said, “We are afraid that security interference might be an obstacle to the success of this meeting. Despite the heavy security presence, there were no arrests or confrontations at Cairo and Helwan universities.
