CAIRO: Clashes escalated between thousands of protesters and police in Alexandria late Monday following protests condemning police violence against protesters in Cairo, leaving dozens injured.
From 5 pm to 3 am clashes continued as protesters and police pelted each other with rocks. Police then shot in the air, and shot rubber bullets, pellets and teargas t the protesters.
Thirty-nine were injured, according to the ministry of health.
A few activists were arrested, but the numbers couldn’t be immediately verified. About 60 were arrested in demonstrations on Saturday and Sunday.
Thousands affiliated with Salafi groups arrived to the scene after 10 pm saying they came to separate between both sides and prevent the bloodshed, while chanting "the people and the people are one hand".
Their efforts failed to ease the tension as police forces mistakenly understood that Salafis came to storm the security directorate, which led to more violence, forcing some Salafis to leave while others decided to stand by the protesters.
Before dawn, police managed to disperse the protests in Semouha.
Protesters called for a million man march Tuesday from Al-Qaed Ibrahim Mosque to the security directorate in Semouha.
Monday’s clashes were described as some of the fiercest in terms of the number of protesters and the teargas canisters used.
