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Egyptian academics protest against university crackdown

October 14, 2014 at 1:09 pm

Dozens of Egyptian academics took part on Monday in a protest organised by the 9 March Movement at Cairo University in the west of the Egyptian capital, Anadolu reported on Monday.

The protesters gathered to oppose the ratification of a new law approved by Egypt’s post-coup government last month, which gives universities the right to dismiss academics, both students and professors, who are accused of taking part in violence without any investigation.

According to Anadolu, the protesters raised various placards, some of which read: “We are in solidarity with the students dismissed without investigation,” “We call for an official statement that cancels the ratification of the university law,” “No to the ratification of a law behind closed doors” and “No to sacking academics based on hollow accusations.”

The 9 March Movement was established in 2003 to fight corruption in the Egyptian university system. It has called for universities to be independent of governmental control and is now also calling for the abolition of the aforementioned law, which was ratified on 24 September.

One of the most important dangers of the new law is the power given to university heads, granting them the authority to dismiss teaching staff without any investigation.

Academics at Cairo University who oppose the new law, along with a member of the 9 March Movement, Hani Al-Hassani, said that the protest organised on Monday was only one of a series of activities planned to demand the repeal of the new law.

Al-Hassani explained that they were first waiting for a response from the government and then they would decide how best to proceed with their protest.

Egyptian universities have been witnessing mass anti-coup protests since the beginning of the academic year started on Saturday, leading to clashes between students and the police.