By Menan Khater
Six people were detained in a protest organised by the Ahrar movement on Saturday, according to a statement released via their official page.
The movement claims that random detention by police included passersby and people who were not involved in organising the protest.
In August 2013, six people were killed during a march where the movement protested against former President Mohamed Morsi’s ouster and then-defence minister Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi’s mandate to counter terrorism.
The group organised a new protest on Saturday, where they held portraits of the killed members, as well as banners opposing the current regime, as shown in pictures on their official page.
The statement said the rally began at Al-Bohoos Square, where several members joined in from different directions, chanting “down with the regime”.
The protesters claimed to block the surrounding streets between Dokki and Mohandessin, in attempt to prevent the security personnel from reaching to the protest. However, 45 minutes later, the security forces tried to disperse the rally at Al-Ansar Street, the statement added.
Clashes lasted for one hour between both parties, where the members aimed fireworks against the security forces, according to the statement, which condemned the security forces for using rubber and live bullets as well as tear gas against the protesters.
Further clashes took place later during the night in Mohandessin, causing injuries as a result of rubber bullets, according to the statement.
Ministry of Interior officials were not available for comment and have not yet released a statement regarding the incident.
Ahrar is a rebellious independent youth movement, launched in August 2012. It aims to eliminate all forms of foreign interference in Egypt’s political affairs. Their Facebook page drew almost 100,000 likes.
