Egyptian Interior Minister Says He's Opposed to Police on Campus Despite Unrest

Egyptian student rebellion at Al-Azhar University on October 20, 2013. The students were protesting against the military coup of July 3., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

I'm against return of university guards: Egypt's interior minister

Ahram Online, Wednesday 11 Dec 2013

Despite continuing violent clashes between police and Egyptian university students, Interior Minsiter Mohamed Ibrahim says he is against police returning to campuses

Egypt's Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim said in a press conference on Wednesday that he is against the return of police inside campuses despite recurrent clashes at universities.

Ibrahim explained that he is opposed to the university guard's interference in student affairs, which he said caused conflict inside universities.

In October 2010, Egypt's Supreme Administrative Court upheld a verdict to remove police from university campuses. University police, appointed by the interior ministry, were notorious for their heavy-handed tactics and for targeting politically-active members of the student body.

In the aftermath of the 25 January 2011 uprising, private security guards were hired to maintain peace on campuses.

Egyptian police have been accused of killing an engineering student on Cairo University's campus grounds in November.

While police didn't enter campus on that day, many were clearly seen firing tear gas inside and shooting birdshot in the direction of the campus.

Weekly confrontations between students and police have been common since the start of the fall term in September as students supporting the Muslim Brotherhood rallied against the transitional authority now ruling Egypt.

While non-Islamist students also protested against police brutality, they insisted they have refused to coordinate with the Brotherhood's students and supporters and rejected any pro-Brotherhood slogans in demonstrations.

Another student from Al-Azhar University was killed during clashes with police in November.

Cairo University has decided to end the fall semester early due to the precarious security situation.

Engineering faculty administrators, including the dean and his deputies, submitted their resignation on Wednesday, stating their dismay of the deteriorating security situation, especially after the killing of engineering student Mohamed Reda.

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