CAIRO: Student protesters at Egypt's American University in Cairo (AUC) have torn down the American flag at the campus on Thursday as part of their continued protest of university policies. According to students at the campus, the flag was removed after an apparent assault on the Vice-President of the Student Union, Ahmed Ezzat. Despite the move, a number of students were reportedly angry at the action. As the flag came down, students standing by chanted “the university is Egyptian and not American” and “be proud, you are Egyptian.” It comes as part of continued strikes on campus, which began on Sunday, against tuition hikes and what students and workers say are poor working conditions for staff and security officers. University President Lisa Anderson, who met with students briefly on Thursday, said the meeting was “absurd,” according to local newspapers. Students want an official apology for her actions. They said Anderson “treated us disrespectfully” and walked out of the meeting with student representatives. On Sunday, over 1,500 students and workers chanted outside the American University in Cairo's (AUC) administration building, unhappy with tuition hikes nad increases in other students' expenses. The protesters also demanded that security and maintenance staff be given a voice to express their opinions on what they called “unfit” working conditions. “There is common abbreviation – HR, however the admin here thinks it only means Human Resources, not human rights,” said Vice President of the Student Union Ahmed Ezzat, who led the protest along with the Student Union President, Ahmed Fayed, and other activists as well. “The works have had the exact same uniform for over a year now. They work 7 days a week and are granted a meal allowance in which they can only purchase expensive food on campus. If they were given that money, 200 Egyptian Pounds, directly, they could make it stretch a lot farther or put it towards other needs,” said student Asssen Arafa. ** Joni Northam contributed to this report. BM
