Six arrested in Cairo after protesting Israel’s war on Palestine, Lebanon, whereabouts unknown

Six people were arrested by security forces on Monday night in Zamalek following a small demonstration they held in support of Palestine and Lebanon against Israeli aggression, an eyewitness told Mada Masr.

Police have quickly shut down similar protests held in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip since October 7, conducting arrests and even holding participants in detention for extended periods.

Defense lawyers seeking to advocate for those arrested have enquired about them in nearby police stations, including the Zamalek police point and at the Qasr al-Nil station, but station staff have denied any knowledge of their whereabouts so far, lawyer Mahienour al-Masry told Mada Masr.

Footage reviewed by Mada Masr showed a group of around six people gathered on Monday night — the one-year anniversary of the start of the Israeli war on Gaza — on the pavement of the May 15 bridge in Zamalek, raising the flags of Palestine and Lebanon, along with banners, one of which said “down with the Occupation.”

The protestors can also be heard chanting, “From Cairo, a thousand greetings to the Lebanese resistance” and “We are with you, Palestine” in the videos.

According to the eyewitness, the protest lasted for approximately 10 to 15 minutes before police personnel showed up at around 7:30 pm on Monday. The protesters tried to leave the area in a taxi, but police used a motorcycle to block the road and held onto them as a crowd of spectators gathered at the site. Two police vans then arrived and took the six people to an unknown destination.

Their whereabouts remained unknown at the time of publication. 

In similar scenes earlier this year, 16 people were arrested from a demonstration held in front of the UN Women regional office in Maadi, Cairo, in support of women in the wars in both Sudan and the Gaza Strip. They were ultimately released on bail after being questioned on charges of forming an illegal group and unlawful assembly under a law that tightened restrictions on gathering in public in 2013.

Protesters who gathered in Cairo and Alexandria shortly after the outbreak of Israel's aggression on Palestinians in Gaza faced remand detention for longer periods on terrorism and false news charges.