By Mai Shams El-Din
CAIRO: The general prosecution released Monday 67 protesters arrested during violent clashes with police forces in Tahrir Square, which left more 23 killed and hundreds injured.
“The protesters were interrogated by the Kobry El-Kobba, Kasr El-Nil and Abdeen prosecution offices. Sixty-seven of the 110 were released while others are still being interrogated,” lawyer with Al-Nadeem Center for the Rehabilitation of Torture Victims, Mohamed Abdel Aziz told Daily News Egypt.
The protesters were charged with illegal gathering, vandalizing public and private property, obstructing traffic and attacking civil servants with rocks and empty bottles.
“They are also being accused of injuring their fellow protesters and killing Mohamed Mahmoud, the first martyr who was killed on Saturday when the clashes first broke out,” Abdel Aziz added.
Meanwhile, protests across the country continued for the second day condemning the violence used against Tahrir protesters.
In Mansoura, clashes broke out when protesters marched from the governorate building to the Security Directorate, where police forces attacked them with teargas bombs.
“Protesters were scattered in side roads and then thugs started attacking them in El-Sekka El-Gedida neighborhood,” activist Mohamed Hamama told DNE.
In Assiut, a march that started at Assiut University and toured the entire city, turned violent when protesters reached the Security Directorate.
Clashes broke out when protesters approached the barricades around the directorate and police started pushing them back. When some protestors fell, others began throwing stones in an exchange that continued for 15 minutes.
Central security forces beat protesters and dispersed them, but they regrouped and marched back.
“We are now 1,500 chanting against the military and the police and surrounding the directorate that is barricaded by security forces,” Steve Nabil from Assiut told DNE.
In Alexandria, a march touring the city reached the Alexandria Security Directorate in Semouha where clashes broke out between police and protesters, while hundreds gathered in front of the military’s Northern Base demanding SCAF to step down.
Hundreds of protesters clashed with police outside Zahran Mall, about 300 meters away from the security directorate. Random arrests were reported, but numbers were not immediately clear. –Additional reporting by Abdel Rahman Youssef from Alexandria.
