(Photo by Mahmoud Fikry)
Police forces continued a heavy presence in Ramses Square Monday, after clearing the square of street vendors Sunday morning, the interior ministry said.
Ramses Square’s clearance of the street vendors was a precautionary measure to prevent their return.
Armed Personnel Carriers and Central Security Forces are still surrounding Ramses Square, and are positioned in front of Al-Azbakeya and Al-Fagala police stations.
One vendor said: “We have been warned about being removed but were not offered an alternative to go to.”
He added that when the government removed the vendors from Talaat Harb Square, many people lost their sources of income.
“Although the government said we will guarantee the vendors new places, they were picky and many people were not compensated,” the vendor said.
On Monday morning, Minister of Interior Magdy Abdel Ghaffar visited Ramses Square and asserted the importance of not letting the vendors to reoccupy the square.
The governor of Cairo also said a new market will be constructed by the Ahmed Helmy bus stop as an alternative for the displaced vendors.
Highly overcrowded, Ramses Square is considered Cairo’s centre, besides having the city’s main train station which receives thousands of passengers from all around Egypt.
Increased pressure was added to the square after the Tahrir metro station was closed. Last year, similar measures were taken against street vendors in Talaat Harb Square near Tahrir Square.
