Dozens arrested in Cairo, Alexandria on Mohamed Mahmoud anniversary

By late Wednesday evening, police forces had arrested dozens in Cairo and Alexandria who were commemorating the third anniversary of the bloody clashes that took place on Mohamed Mahmoud Street, just off Tahrir Square, in 2011.

The exact numbers of arrested protesters and activists were not confirmed, but estimates claim at least 50, possibly many more.

The privately owned Youm7 news portal, citing sources from the Cairo Security Directorate, reported that 47 protesters were arrested in the capital alone. Whereas the mainstream Sada al-Balad reported that 50 “trouble-makers” were arrested from around Downtown Cairo’s Talaat Harb Square.

Small groups of protesters were forcefully dispersed earlier on Wednesday in downtown Cairo. Another group was dispersed while protesting on Stanley Bridge in the Mediterranean City of Alexandria.

Riot police forces are reported to have fired teargas canisters and warning shots into the air, and hit largely peaceful protesters with batons while dispersing protests. However, no fatalities were reported during Wednesday’s crackdown.

The arrest of at least four activists was confirmed in Alexandria, including leftist activist Mahienour Al-Massry, lawyer Mohamed Ramadan, and fellow protesters Noha Kamel, Sherif al-Gamal, and Mahmoud Barry.

The Revolutionary Socialists Movement, of which Massry is a member, confirmed on their official Facebook page that the detainees were transferred to the nearby Raml First Police Station.

Massry was released from prison on September 21, after being issued a suspended sentence for participating in a street protest in Alexandria.

Lawyers from the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) tweeted updates about the detainees in Cairo, reporting that the vast majority of those arrested were being held in the Abdeen and Qasr al-Nil Police Stations.

Officers at Cairo’s Azbakiya Police Station denied the presence of any arrested protesters Wednesday evening.

According to ANHRI's lawyers, none of the detainees have yet been referred to the office of the General Prosecutor for investigation.