40 up for city rampage in Egypt
2007-10-08 08:45
Cairo - Egyptian police detained at least 40 people after hundreds of angry Bedouins stormed government buildings in north Sinai on Sunday to protest police inaction after a shooting by a rival clan, said a security source.
The mob attacked the ruling National Democratic Party headquarters in the city of El-Arish and burned pictures of President Hosni Mubarak, prompting police to fire teargas to break up the crowd, said the source.
According to residents, what began as a fight between young members of two rival clans in El-Arish spilled over into large-scale violence against the police.
The security source said: "Police have detained 40 Bedouins from both tribes. The situation is calm now, but three police officers were injured in clashes."
At least 20 Bedouins needed medical treatment after the clashes, mainly from the effects of the tear gas, said the source.
Residents burn tyres, smash windows
Residents said the violence erupted overnight on Saturday, after several thousand Bedouins went on the rampage in the streets of El-Arish, directing their anger against police after a gang fight involving members of the Tarabin tribe based in central Sinai and the local Fawakhriya tribe.
Witnesses said that the city's local council building had been damaged by stone-throwing protesters who also burned tyres throughout the city.
A police officer said: "At least 4 000 to 5 000 residents took to the streets, they burned tyres and smashed shop windows.
"At least six people were injured in the clashes, including one police officer." The official gave the toll from the overnight violence.
After the breaking of the Ramadan fast, armed Tarabin tribesmen arrived in El-Arish in 15 trucks and began to shoot at members of the Fawakhriya tribe for about 15 minutes.
Cops promise to control situation
Thousands of residents, furious at the lack of police protection against the violence, then poured into the streets for protests that lasted at least five hours, said police official.
Abdel Hamid Selmy of the Fawakhriya tribe and a member of the Egyptian parliament's upper house said police had promised to control the situation in the future.
He said that while rivalries between neighbouring clans regularly lead to fighting, Saturday's spontaneous protest "is an expression of the frustration felt by Bedouins due to the constant neglect by authorities".
Hassan Abdallah, a local resident who belonged to the left-leaning Tagammu party, said that protesters had blocked main roads and shouted anti-government slogans.
Bedouins had long complained of discriminatory policies and mistreatment by the authorities.
A spate of bombings to hit popular tourist destinations in Sinai between 2004 and 2006 lead to massive sweeps of the peninsula with thousands of Bedouins arrested. Many of them had yet to be released.