Egyptian soldiers attack student protesters

Egyptian military forces have stormed an anti-government protest rally by university students in the capital city of Cairo and in the northern province of al- Sharqiyah.

Several people were injured, some of them seriously, when security forces attacked students at the dormitory of Cairo’s al-Azhar University on Tuesday, according to witnesses.

Security forces also used tear gas and bird shot to disperse students at Zagazig University, in al-Sharqiyah Province.

This comes after days of student protests in the capital Cairo against the country’s upcoming constitutional referendum and its ban on the Muslim Brotherhood.

On December 24, Cairo officially designated the Brotherhood – which has been leading protests against the army-backed government of interim President Adly Mahmoud Mansour – a terrorist group.

More than 10 students were killed in clashes with security forces over the past few days, while Egyptian authorities keep jailing activists for taking part in protests.

On Monday, state news agency MENA said 139 people were sentenced to two years in prison for participating in pro-Morsi rallies.

Since the start of the new academic year in September, Egyptian universities have been the scene of protests against the army-appointed interim government that took power after the ouster of former president, Mohamed Morsi.

Egypt plunged into unrest on July 3, after the country’s powerful military unseated Morsi, Egypt’s first democratically-elected head of state, dissolved the parliament, suspended the constitution, and declared Mansour as the country’s interim president.