Three injured in clashes between university students and security forces

Ahram Online , Monday 28 Oct 2013

Security forces use tear gas to disperse 2500 Azhar students blocking a road in Cairo

Egyptian security forces fired teargas Monday to disperse students protesting in support of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, security officials said.

Students demonstrated outside the campus of Al-Azhar University in Cairo, blocking a main road and chanting against the military for the ousting of former president Morsi in July amid massive protests against his rule.

The Ministry of Interior issued a statement Monday afternoon stating that around 2500 Al-Azhar University students had gathered outside the campus and blocked Al-Nasr highway in both directions.

The statement added that the students had hurled rocks at citizens and security forces, and that reconciliation attempts had not worked, leading security forces to use teargas.

By late afternoon, soldiers had dispersed the protesters and reopened the road.

Ahmed El-Anassary, head of Egypt's ambulance authority said three people sustained injuries in Monday's protests in Cairo and Daqahalia.

According to Anassary's statement, one injury occurred at Al-Azhar University in Cairo and two during similar protests at the Faculty of Sharia in Daqahalia. All three were transferred to nearby hospitals.

Ahmed El-Bakary, head of the Students Union at Al-Azhar University, said he held the Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar, Ahmed El-Tayab, responsible for the clashes and injuries on the university campus, in a statement issued on Monday afternoon.

El-Bakary added that students intend to escalate their demonstrations.

Pro-Morsi students have maintained almost daily protests at Al-Azhar University since the start of the new semester last week, demanding the reinstatement of the ousted president to his former position.  

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