CAIRO: Egyptian police have been randomly and systematically arresting people in and around downtown Cairo's Qasr el-Aini street, where clashes broke out Saturday only a few hundred meters from Tahrir Square. One of those arrested was Sarah Abdallah, a resident of Qasr el-Aini street who was spotted by police taking pictures from her balcony. A second woman, Amira al-Asmar , was also arrested for also taking photographs of police violence from her home. Police broke into Abdallah's home and illegally arrested her without proper legal permission. Abdallah was detained over night at a nearby police station and police said she will be transported to the prosecutor's office the morning after. The Egyptian Revolutionist Women Union called out on people to support Abdallah and demanded she be released immediately. Police, who used massive amounts of tear gas and bird shot to disperse the protesters, also assaulted a number of people, according to a first hand accounts of Bikyanews.com. Police chased down protesters into side streets, including Saad Zaghloul street, and publicly in the sight of terrified residents, beat and assaulted at least four people. One was a young man, who was beaten mercilessly by soldiers using their riot sticks and passed out. After people pleaded with the officers, the assaulted man was seen carried on two soliders' backs out towards the barbed wire fence that cuts the main thoroughfare by parliament. No official number of how many people were detained in the past two days has been released, but eyewitnesses says tens have been arrested, including passersby and many women. Tension broke out on Monday in the port city of Port Said after a court handed down the death penalty to 21 football fans accused of killing 72 Ahly Club fans following a match in the Port Said last February. The final verdict that will include sentences to the city's police chief, who is accused of neglect on March 9. Violence broke out following the hearing and families and friends of the defendants attempted to break into the prison to free the defendants, allegedly using machine guns, killing two prison guards. The deadly clashes left at least 33 dead including three children. A public funeral is taking place on Sunday where tens of thousands came out to say their final goodbyes. Massive violence has ensued as the military opened fire on those who gathered in an attempt to disperse them. Violence broke out around Egypt in protest to the Muslim Brotherhood's rule and its male Muslim dominated ideology, when police attacked protesters on the second anniversary of the January 25 revolution that overthrew imprisoned former president Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule. Following an iron-fist military transitional period, the Muslim Brotherhood pushed their nominee Mohamed Morsi, ended up running against one of Mubarak's loyalist, resulting in Morsi becoming the fifth Egyptian president. BN
