Mourners of Mohamed El-Gendy said the clashes were not related to his funeral which was peaceful throughout
Clashes renewed in Tanta, the capital of Gharbeya Governorate, after a memorial procession for Mohamed El-Gendy.
Farag El-Sayed, who attended the memorial, said El-
Gendy’s mother asked that no marches be held and no chants made. El-Sayed said the memorial service and clashes were both near the governorate building of Gharbeya and the governorate’s security directorate, but were not led by the same people.
Mohamed Bayoumi, who also took part in the memorial, said the memorial was peaceful and calm. He went home after the memorial and was surprised to learn that clashes later erupted.
Bayoumi said over the past few days that both new and unknown people would clash once they reached the governorate building. He said they are not related to the protesters or political groups.
In addition to the clashes, to which the police responded by firing teargas, the families of those who were arrested during clashes on Monday blocked the Cairo-Alexandria Agricultural Road, demanding the immediate release of their children. The clashes on Tuesday left at least a dozen injured on both the security and protester sides. No deaths have been reported.
On Monday, during El-Gendy’s funeral, clashes broke out between protesters and security forces outside the governorate building. Around two dozen people were reported injured and nine people were arrested.
Mohamed Molda, a lawyer defending the detainees, said they were randomly arrested. “One was returning from work and on his way home when he was arrested and framed for possession of a bladed weapon,” he said. He claims that all nine detainees were also framed. They are all being held for four days, pending investigations.
El-Gendy, whose hometown is Tanta, died earlier this week. He had gone missing on 27 January and was found in a coma at the Al-Helal hospital with a brain haemorrhage and a bruised skull last Thursday. He was a political activist and a member of the Popular Current. He was also the founder of the Al-Dostour party.
A symbolic funeral march was first held for him in Tahrir Square on Monday, after which his body was taken to Tanta for burial. El-Sayed said a march is set to be held for El-Gendy on Wednesday afternoon. Political and rights groups allege he was injured by government security forces.
