Egyptian riot police backed by military troops have attacked massive rallies of anti-government protesters in the capital Cairo and the city of Suez.
Police backed by army units attacked al-Azhar University students protesting in Cairo’s Nasr City on Friday.
Security forces fired tear gas and birdshot to disperse anti-regime demonstrators.
Supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood in the city of Suez also came under a similar crackdown.
Reports say several people were arrested and injured in both cities.
Protests against the army and the military-backed authorities usually break out every week after Friday prayers.
Opponents of the former defense minister, Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, who is running for president, are right now holding rallies in many other Egyptian cities including Alexandria, Giza and Sharqiyah.
The latest developments come after Sisi officially submitted his bid to run for president.
Sisi led the overthrow of former President Mohamed Morsi, suspended the constitution and dissolved the parliament in July last year. He is also accused of leading a severe crackdown against the supporters of Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood.
Egyptian military-installed interim officials have mounted a heavy-handed crackdown on Morsi supporters and members of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Figures show Egypt’s military-backed government has jailed nearly 16,000 people over the past few months.
Despite Cairo’s crackdown, the Brotherhood says the group remains committed to peaceful resistance against the interim government.
Several international bodies and the United Nations Human Rights Council have expressed concern over the Egyptian security forces’ crackdown and the killing of peaceful anti-government protesters.
Rights groups say at least 1,400 people have been killed in the violence since Morsi’s ouster, “most of them due to excessive force used by security forces.”
JR/MHB/MAM
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