Angry protesters attacked police stations in several parts of Egypt two days following the reappearance of police after having completely disappeared on Friday, 28 January, following police attacks on peaceful protesters demanding the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak.
Witnesses said that soon after the police reappeared, they began using provocative tactics while dealing with residents, which led to clashes in Upper Egypt and in areas around Cairo.
In Barambel Village in Helwan, south of Cairo, residents set the local police station on fire after a police officer shot and killed a local resident for violating the curfew.
The resident had gone out during curfew hours on Monday night and was shot to death after failing to respond to the police officer's warnings. He was killed instantly.
Following the incident, village residents torched the police station in which the officer was taking cover, leading to the death of the officer and total destruction of the station and its civil registry. Other police personnel managed to escape before they were caught by residents.
In related news, police forces on Tuesday used live ammunition to shoot protesters in the Wadi Gedid Governorate, southwest of Cairo. The protesters had voiced objections to the reinstatement of an officer whom they described as “dictatorial."
According to eyewitnesses, 61 people were injured in clashes with security forces in the province's capital, Kharga.
Local residents had rejected the return of Captain Ahmed al-Sokkary, whom authorities had dismissed during the first days of nationwide protests calling on President Hosni Mubarak to resign.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
