Funerals turn to protests against state violence

Egypt witnessed a new wave of demonstrations on Saturday as the funerals of the victims of the security forces turned to mass protests calling for those responsible to be punished. Almost two dozen people were killed by security officers during Friday’s anti-coup demonstrations. Protests and sit-ins have swept across Egyptian universities and governorates denouncing the military coup and the increase in state violence against peaceful protesters.

In Al-Faiyum, a city south-west of Cairo, the residents demanded the punishment of those responsible for the murder of a young man “murdered” by the security forces on Friday. The man was shot with live ammunition as the authorities sought to disperse a demonstration. Local residents said that those responsible for all of the killings since the July coup should be brought to justice.

The funeral of a young boy killed in Minya, south of the Egyptian capital, also on Friday, turned into a mass demonstration denouncing the military coup and “military rule”. Again, calls were made for the punishment of the killers within the security forces.

At Alexandria University, meanwhile, students protested about the murder of two people who fell on Friday during a demonstration against the coup in Sidi Bishr. The students marched across the university campus and threatened to increase their protests and boycott exams if the authorities did not lift the siege imposed on Al-Azhar University. They demanded respect for students’ rights and the release of all students in government detention. A human chain in the city raised the four-fingered Rabaa Al-Adawiyya symbol and images of ousted President Mohamed Morsi. Banners called for a boycott of the referendum on the constitution.

Similar protests in Cairo and northern Egypt also denounced official violence against peaceful demonstrators. The Rassd Network reported that the security forces attacked female students, beating and dragging them on the ground; live bullets were fired into the air to disperse the crowd.

The Coalition to Support Legitimacy said the Egyptian security forces “murdered” 19 people and injured dozens more on Friday. Government figures claim that the death toll was 14, with 62 people wounded, of whom 17 were policemen. The Ministry of the Interior said that 250 protesters were arrested.

Source: AlResalah