Egypt arrests more than 100 due to Gaza solidarity

A human rights organisation reported that the Egyptian authorities recently arrested more than 100 people, most of them university students, due to their solidarity with Gaza.

Reuters quoted the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) stating that the authorities arrested a number of students trying to promote boycott campaigns and solidarity with the Palestinians, in the latest sign of their unwillingness to allow for the popular movement regarding the war in Gaza despite the growing official criticism of Israel.

The students are among dozens detained in connection with protests against the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, some of whom were arrested in October when marches – authorised by the authorities – against the Israeli attack spread to unauthorised sites, including Tahrir Square in Cairo.

Analysts told Reuters that the authorities fear that the protests against the Israeli occupation will fuel internal political dissent, which has been suppressed in a large-scale crackdown that has lasted for over a decade.

The agency quoted the EIPR as saying: “At least 125 people have been arrested since the Gaza war began in October, 95 of whom are still being held in pre-trial detention on charges including membership of a banned group or spreading false news.”

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