University dean resigns, more injured in campus-led protests

The dean of Cairo University’s Faculty of Engineering submitted his resignation to the university’s president on Wednesday, along with his deputies.

Sherif Hammad’s resignation comes after days of violent clashes between students and security forces, which escalated after an engineering student was killed on campus by police in late November.

University President Gaber Nassar has meanwhile postponed addressing the resignations and asked the administration to run the affairs of the faculty. The university administration also decided Wednesday to suspend all engineering classes, although exams are still to be held, beginning in late December.

The resignations follow further violence Tuesday between security forces and students. Tear gas was fired at the students, who responded with rock-throwing. Security forces also arrested some of the protesters.

Thirty-six protesters were injured Tuesday in clashes between students and security forces in Cairo, Giza and Fayoum, the Health Ministry said Wednesday.

Student unions at several universities announced more protests for Wednesday. At Cairo University, students were to launch a march at 11 am, followed by a protest at 1 pm.

Al-Azhar University students also launched a march on Wednesday morning. The demonstration follows two days of violence. Students have denounced the removal of President Mohamed Morsi and the police violence used against the students.

One Al-Azhar student died in late November, and students claim that a second student was killed during Monday’s clashes, but the university administration and Interior Ministry deny this. Security forces stormed into Azhar University campus on Monday in an unprecedented escalation and arrested students.

Almost two months of campus protests began with pro-Morsi students denouncing the Islamist president’s July removal. The demonstrations spread, with other political groups joining in, after Mohamed Reda, a first-year engineering student, was killed in late November after being struck by a pellet.

Students Against the Coup (SAC) had called for a “week of resistance.” The group has accused the military-led interim government of targeting students in its crackdown on public dissent.