CAIRO: Scores of men from the Sharekat al-Marg residential area of Egypt's capital, Cairo on Saturday attempted to attack the al-Marg police station and fired at the building to break in. The attempt failed when police officers exchanged fire and forced the militants to flee the scene. The violence broke out after 60 people gathered outside the police station and hurled rocks at the front of the building, smashing glass. No injuries occurred, state-run MENA reported. The news organization also said 200 residents of the poor Cairo area tried to protect the station and formed a frontline to keep the attackers away. Soon after, the station fired tear gas to disperse the crowd, but not before a fire set off inside had allowed some 75 prisoners to escape. Police said 19 had been arrested and returned to jail. The attackers were reportedly dressed in traditional Bedouin attire. Three men were arrested and accused of trying to break into the station. Two of them were concealing fire arms. Earlier on the morning, militants fired at the al-Salam police station and after a short fire exchange with the officers, fled the scene. No injuries were reported or arrests made. Pro-change activists in Egypt say the loose security on the streets is a play from the government and the ruling military council to spread chaos, scare people and assert their position as a needed force at the present time. “Bank robberies and loose security is part of the SCAF's plan to re-enact Mubarak's ‘me or chaos' scenario,” Hisham Ahmed, a student and online activist told Bikyamasr.com via phone Saturday afternoon. “Police took a year to regain their strength, yet crimes and street chaos is spreading and it is very obvious that there is a hand behind the security deterioration in our streets and that hand is the hand of Tantawy's men,” argued the 24-year-old activist, referring to the head of the military council. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/5OMOZ Tags: Attack, Cairo, featured, Marg\, Police Section: Egypt, Latest News
