Egyptian police, students clash anew at al-Azhar U

Egyptian police, students clash anew at al-Azhar U
Sun Dec 29, 2013 18:11:37

New battles between Egyptian police forces and student protesters have ensued at the nation’s prominent al-Azhar University in the capital of Cairo.

The clashes erupted on Sunday after crowds of students staged yet another protest rally against the country’s military-installed government. There have so far been no reports of casualties.

The development comes after two students were killed and several others injured on Saturday, when Egyptian police forces broke up a strike by students in the university.

This is while the School of Commerce at the University was set ablaze, with students denying government allegations that they had started the fire.

Also on Saturday, Egyptians held demonstrations against the military rulers in Cairo as well as the cities of al-Khusus, Beni Suef and Alexandria. Heavy clashes broke out between police and the protesters.

On December 27, nine people were killed as police fired tear gas and bird shots at protesters.

The opposition Anti-Coup Alliance, which is led by the Muslim Brotherhood, has called for seven days of street protests.

The call came after the interim government declared the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization.

The movement has been organizing mass anti-government protests after the military overthrew the country’s first democratically-elected president, Mohamed Morsi, on July 3.

This is while the rights group Human Rights Watch has criticized Egypt’s military-installed government for designating the Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, insisting that the measure is aimed at intensifying the crackdown on the movement’s peaceful anti-government activities and its supporters.

The rights group said that Cairo must immediately reverse the decision.

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