Egypt's security forces arrested 19 persons on charges of instigating riots during the clashes that recently occurred between Islamist protesters and their opponents in Cairo's downtown on Friday. In a statement issued by the ministry of interior, it said that three of the arrested are accused of setting fire to buses in Abdel Monim Riyad Square and 16 are accused of throwing Molotov Cocktails and hurling stones at the police. Footage aired on AlJazeera channel displayed protesters setting fire to buses belonging to the Islamist group that were parked at Ramses Street. Clashes had erupted between supporters and opponents of the Muslim Brotherhood at the High Judicial Council headquarters in Cairo's Ramses Street earlier on Friday. The security forces fired teargas at both sides to disperse them. The statement added that the defendants will be referred to the prosecution for further investigations. Yesterday's clashes left around 87 persons injured, according to the ministry of health. Thousands of Islamists had gathered at the High Judicial Council in a demonstration which the Muslim Brotherhood and some Salafi parties had called for in order to sack the minister of justice and try head of the Judges' Club and the former Chief Prosecutor General.
