Central Security officers expelled the minister of interior from the Sunday funeral of police officers who were killed during clashes between security forces and protesters in Port Said on Saturday.
The officers forced the minister to leave before the funeral prayer, blaming him for the death of their colleagues in Port Said. They explained that the minister’s orders to arm security forces with tear gas only prevented them from controlling the protests and attacks on them by protesters.
A video on YouTube showed the incident, with officers chanting “get out” as the minister left the mosque.
However, Ministry Of Interior spokesperson General Osama Ismail denied the incident, claiming that the minister left after the funeral prayer along with several Central Security officers, heading to his office. He added that the minister invited officers critical of his decisions to his office, to explain those decisions to them.
Two police officers, Ahmed El-Balky and Ayman Abdel Azeem, were killed on Saturday in Port Said, as they tried to prevent protesters from breaking into Port Said prison. Protesters attempted to break into the prison to free prisoners who received death sentences on Saturday for their part in the Port Said stadium massacre case.
Al-Ahram reported that the minister understood the officers’ anger, assuring them he forbade them from being armed with live ammunition to protect them and prevent the situation from escalating.
The funeral took place in the police mosque in Cairo, and was attended by leading figures at the ministry, large numbers of police officers, in addition to the minister.
Saturday’s clashes in Port Said resulted in the death of 30 protesters, in addition to the two police officers.
