Protests in Talaat Harb dispersed by CSF, opposition activists arrested

Black-clad Central Security Forces (CSF) forcefully dispersed a protest rally staged by hundreds of opposition youth activists in downtown Cairo on Wednesday night. Over a dozen activists were reportedly arrested during the crackdown.

The riot police troops fired teargas canisters into the rally by downtown Cairo’s Talaat Harb Square – located less than a kilometer away from Tahrir Square – while activists were chased out of the square and apprehended by police forces.

Eyewitnesses reported seeing a number of these detainees being beaten and dragged through the streets, before being placed into police vehicles.

On Wednesday night, videos circulated on social media websites showing opposition youth activists including members of the Zamalek Sporting Club’s ultras – known as the “White Knights”  – along with the liberal April 6 Youth Movement, leftist youths, and other secular activists chanting against military rule.

Some protesters could be seen holding flares, while hundreds of others chanted against the perceived human rights violations of the interim regime. Protesters also chanted for the demands of the January 25 uprising – bread, freedom, social justice – in commemoration of the revolt’s upcoming third anniversary.

The rally was organized to demand the release of imprisoned activists who had been arrested under the provisions of a new law regulating protests that had been issued by interim President Adly Mansour in late November.

In a related incident, riot police forces sealed off Tahrir Square on Wednesday as they anticipated protest marches by the Muslim Brotherhood and the Anti-Coup Alliance.

The state-owned MENA news agency reported that the security forces were on standby as they had anticipated a protest march by the “terrorist” Muslim Brotherhood and their allies.

“The closure of this square led to massive traffic congestions across downtown Cairo,” MENA reported.