(file photo)
AFP Photo
By Nasser El-Azzazy
A number of protests broke out Sunday in the cities of Al-Sheikh Zuweid and Bir Al-Abd in North Sinai.
The largest of these protests was in Al-Arish where dozens of youth gathered in front of the public governor’s office, protesting against the fact that they were not given jobs as part of the city’s recent ‘500 Jobs Contest’ initiative.
Protesters raised flags condemning and rejecting the outcome of the competition, while chanting “Leave!” to the governor, in addition to “Where are the Muslim Brotherhood’s MPs now?”.
Protesters attempted to block the Al-Arish/Rafah Road when they were surrounded by security forces attempting to protect the entrances and exits to the governor’s office.
In Sheikh Al-Zuweid, a number of vendors in the city’s main market succeeded in blocking the Al-Arish/Rafah road in protest against the local government’s recent decision to impose new fees on their businesses. A number of government officials and tribal elders arrived to calm the protests, accompanying vendors to a meeting in front of the public governor’s office with Governor Abd al-Fatah Harhur, who listened to their demands and complaints.
A number of debtors to the Principal Bank for Development and Agricultural Credit protested outside the bank’s branch in Bir Al-Abd, claiming that they had not received the same debt relief package provided to other farmers in the city.
Other protesters sealed and locked the doors to two schools under the jurisdiction of the Bir Al-Abd school district, on the day that classes were supposed to have begun for the school’s second semester.
Eyewitnesses said that city residents closed Al-Nassar Elementary School in protest over not being recently awarded jobs at the school. Parents also closed Al-Khibra Middle and High schools, in protest over events that had occurred during the first semester of the school year.
