Thousands protest across Egypt in 'Day of Anger'

By Tamim Elyan

CAIRO: Thousands took to the streets on Tuesday in Cairo and other cities throughout Egypt in Tunisia-inspired protests against worsening economic conditions and police brutality and to call for political reform.

Security didn’t engage with protestors early in the day, but used teargas, force and water cannons to disperse them after 3 pm when demonstrations reached the Parliament building in downtown Cairo.

A security official told AFP there were 15,000 protestors on Cairo’s streets on Tuesday.

By 4 pm, thousands of protestors were reportedly seen on the streets in the Delta city of Mahalla, with police unable to cordon them off, according to blogger and activist Mohamed Maree.

Supporters of former MP Hamadeen Sabahi of Al-Karama Party said that about 15,000 people joined protests in Kafr El-Sheikh.

About 70 were arrested in Cairo. Thirty-two protestors were arrested in Qasr El-Eini Street, eight in El-Tera’a El-Boulaqia, Shubra, seven in Port Said, nine in Mansoura and five in Tahrir Square, Cairo, according to the Hisham Mubarak Law Center.

One protestor, Abdel-Halim Khamis, sustained an eye injury while in Qasr El-Eini Street. Injuries were also reported among protestors cordoned by police in Mansoura. But those injured were not allowed to get out, according to the Hisham Mubarak Law Center.

The April 6 Youth Movement and the popular “We are All Khaled Saeid” page on Facebook had called on all opposition groups to participate in a “Day of Anger” through demonstrations around the country on Police Day on Jan. 25, a national holiday that marks the 1952 struggle by the Ismailia police force against the British Occupation.

Tens of protestors that gathered at different meeting points around Cairo midday grew in numbers to reach thousands, with different demonstrations joining forces.

Sinai got an early start with locals blocking Al-Goura airport road in Rafah and Bedouins blocked Al-Mahdiya road with cars and burnt tires.

In Cairo, hundreds of protestors broke security cordons and marched from Ramses Street towards Tahrir Square through Galaa Street and were joined by passersby — including families with their children — as security forces failed to control the crowds.

The crowd went through different routes that took them to Qasr El-Nil Bridge, the state TV building on the Corniche and Attaba to finally end up at the central Tahrir Square.

Hundreds of protestors marched from Nahia and Boulaq towards Gamet El-Dowal Street to join thousands of others gathering in front of Mustafa Mahmoud Mosque chanting “Leave, leave.”

The protest then marched through Al-Batal Ahmed Abdel-Aziz Street in Mohandiseen and through Tahrir Street in Dokki to join thousands that ended up in the heart of Egypt’s capital.

In Alexandria, hundreds marched through Al Maa’had Al Diny Street in Asafra without police intervention, according to activists in the protest.

Earlier, security forces stopped a protest from taking place at Moharam Bek district.

In Gharbeya activists said that a young woman called Sara Abdel Qodous was arrested in Tanta and security closed Mahalla’s and Baltim’s entrances and exists with central security forces trucks and armored vehicles.

In Assiut sources reported heavy security presence and activists being chased in side streets.

In Cairo separate ad hoc protests attracted hundreds before people voluntarily dispersed.

Five hundred, mostly academics and professionals, gathered in front of the Doctors’ Syndicate and were surrounded by security forces while a dozens lawyers protested in front of Lawyers’ Syndicate.

Women activists Karima Al-Hefnawy and Shahenda Mekled were briefly held in Heliopolis while heading Downtown, Al-Hefnawy told Daily News Egypt.

Spontaneous protests took place in Dar El-Salam, Boulaq, Maadi, Ard El-Lewa and Imbaba.

Less than 300 protestors gathered at Dawaran Shubra in Shubra Street before being split into two groups as a number of protestors headed toward El-Tera’a El-Boulaqia Street. Minor clashes with the police were witnessed by Daily News Egypt’s reporter at the scene.

Some reports claimed that 15 Muslim Brotherhood members were arrested earlier in the day in a café in Mohandiseen district. Mohamed Morsy, spokesperson of the group, told Daily News Egypt that he could not confirm this information.

The Ministry of Interior said that reports of arrests of female participants in Tuesday’s demonstrations were incorrect.

By 4:30 pm users reported that access to the micro-blogging website Twitter was blocked. Protestors and journalists using their telephones to tweet the events they witnessed in Tahrir Square, were also unable to do so.

Organizers of the protest said that their demands include raising the minimum wage, ending emergency law, the impeachment of the minister of interior and limiting presidential terms to two. – Additional reporting by Abdel-Rahman Hussein, Ian Lee, Heba Fahmy and Mohamed Effat.