Protests at various universities on first day of classes

Fady Ashraf
3 Min Read
Students against Coup movement organizes protests in several universities, including Zagazig university (Photo courtesy of Students against Coup Facebook page)
Students against Coup movement organizes protests in several universities, including Zagazig university (Photo courtesy of Students against Coup Facebook page)
Students against Coup movement organizes protests in several universities, including Zagazig university (Photo courtesy of Students against Coup Facebook page)

Protests “to support legitimacy” were held in several universities on Sunday, the first day of classes.

Ahmed Ghoneim, spokesman for Students against Coup movement in Cairo University, said that a march comprising of nearly 2,000 students moved from the Faculty of Sciences to the Faculty of Law. Ghoneim said that students knew that former Grand Mufti, Ali Gomaa, whom he described as “the mufti of the coup,” was present at the Faculty of Sciences; the students, Ghoneim said, chanted that the mufti leave the premises of the university, but no action was taken either by the students or the mufti.

Ghoneim affirmed that the protests at Cairo University were peaceful, and will continue until “the coup is brought down,” stating that many students responded to the calls of civil disobedience and did not attend their classes.

A security officer in Cairo University who wished to remain anonymous said that the number of marchers was roughly 600.

In Zagazig University in the Sharkiya governorate, clashes occurred between members of the Students against the Coup movement and those who they described as “thugs.” State-owned Al-Ahram reported that the clashes were between members of the Students against the Coup movement and other students opposing them; rocks and sticks were used in the clashes, which were dispersed after interference by the university’s security personnel. There are no reports of injuries.

Students against the Coup organized protests in several universities.

In Ain Shams University, Students against the Coup organized a march that took place in the university and streets around it.

The Students against the Coup movement also organized protests in Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Assiut University, Beni Suef University, Mansoura University, Fayoum University, Suez University and Alexandria University.

A statement issued by “Students against the Coup,” commenting on Sunday’s protests, condemned statements allegedly made by the Army spokesman, which said that army forces will interfere in universities to stop the protests.  The office of the spokesman of the Armed Forces was not available to comment on these allegations.

The statement read: “University campuses will retain their  sanctity, and students will not give up on their rights, and will not forget their martyred and imprisoned colleagues.”

The statement added that “the [Students against the Coup] movement promises numerous surprises with peaceful [protests] against putchists, whose end will be at the hands of the students.”

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