After protesting lack of road maintenance, 5 Matareya residents detained on suspicion of inciting demonstrations

After police arrested a number of Matareya residents who had protested for local authorities to conduct maintenance on an accident-ridden local road, the prosecution issued orders on Monday to keep six people, including a child, in detention.

Twenty-three people were ordered released on bail by the same prosecution in Daqahlia on Monday, lawyer Hassan al-Melhat told Mada Masr.

The 29 people were arrested after security forces clashed on Saturday with residents who had gathered on the road after a deadly car collision killed 13 people last week.

During their demonstration, the residents protested the dilapidation and lack of road services on the route which provides access for many to travel from Daqahlia to jobs in industry in the neighboring governorate of Port Said. 

Melhat said that the North Mansoura General Prosecution released 23 defendants on bail of LE10,000 each, pending the outcome of case 7711/2024 Matareya Misdemeanors, while five more were ordered to be detained for four more days. 

Orders were also issued earlier for a minor who was among those arrested to be placed in a juvenile observation home for a week, according to the lawyer, who explained that all 29 defendants were being investigated on suspicion of gathering, demonstrating and damaging a public road, as well as throwing rocks and burning tires. 

He said the results of investigations conducted by the National Security Agency later arrived, indicating that none of those detained have any political or partisan affiliations. 

After that, the prosecution released 23, but decided to continue investigating five of them on charges of inciting the demonstrations and other acts. They are currently being held at the Mahallet Demna Police Station in Daqahlia, Melhat said.

Hours into the protest, residents were confronted by security forces who used live ammunition and tear gas to disperse the gathering, injuring and arresting several people. 

Both the governors of Daqahlia and Port Said issued orders to meet the demands raised by the protesting residents on Saturday. These included increasing the number of lampposts, installing reflective signs on both sides of the road, placing concrete barriers along the road to prevent heavy transport vehicles from passing, creating speed bumps near residential blocks and schools, and closing illegal entrances to the road.