16 protesters killed on anniversary of 2011 Egypt uprising
Jan 25, – At least 16 people have been killed in clashes between police and protesters across Egypt, officials said. One policeman was among the dead and dozens of protesters were also injured, health officials confirmed.
The clashes follow the death of an activist in a march in Cairo on Saturday. The protests were staged to mark the fourth anniversary of Egypt’s 2011 uprising, which toppled long-time leader Hosni Mubarak.
Security in major cities was tightened ahead of the anniversary, and key locations in Cairo were blocked off.
In the bloodiest day of protests since Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was elected president in June, security forces and plain clothed police fired at protesters, witnesses said.
The anniversary is a test of whether Islamists and liberal activists have the resolve to challenge a government that has stamped out dissent since the then-army chief Sisi ousted elected Islamist president Mohamed Mursi in July 2013 after mass protests against his rule.
After nightfall, gunfire and sirens could be heard in central Cairo as armored personnel carriers moved through the city center. Protesters set fire to a government building on a street near the Pyramids, state media said.
Dozens of protesters were killed during last year’s anniversary. Again this year, security forces fanned out across the capital and other cities.
The heaviest death toll was in the Cairo suburb of Matariya, a Muslim Brotherhood stronghold. Special forces fired pistols and rifles at protesters, a Reuters witness said. Eight people, including one policeman, were killed, according to the health ministry.
Press journalist for HRO media – Khizer Hayat reports.
Category: Arab uprising
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