CAIRO: Protestors and members of the press assaulted by the police during a protest last Monday have submitted legal complaints. Members of the Kefaya and April 6 Youth movements and opposition political parties were attempting to stage a protest on the steps of Cairo's State Council when they were assaulted by police. "We were going to express solidarity with the decision to ban the export of gas to Israel, in a peaceful demonstration, Ibrahim Farag, one of the protestors told OTV satellite channel this week. Farag and other protestors have lodged complaints with the public prosecution office in which they allege that members of the police attacked them and sexually assaulted female protestors. "They arrested us, beat us, treated us really badly and detained us in a police van for 14 hours. We were treated in an inhumane way; our personal belongings were taken from us and we were not allowed to use the toilet, Farag said. The 18 detainees were eventually released before midnight. One of the protestors, Seham Shawarda, says that she was attacked when she attempted to film Monday's events. "I saw someone being attacked so I filmed it with my mobile. One of the officers tried to take the mobile from my hand. When I refused to give it to him, he threw me down the State Council building's steps, Shawarda told OTV. TV presenter Mona El-Shazly, protested treatment received by film crews from the "Al-Ashera Masa'an program during Monday's edition of the talk show. "There was hysterical treatment of some activists from Kefaya and Taggamu. This treatment was then extended to journalists and film crews who were punched and hit with truncheons for absolutely no reason, El-Shazly said. "They then erased all images from their film equipment and mobiles - even personal photographs. This is completely unjustified. The program aired footage of Monday's events during which police officers are seen attacking protestors on the steps of the State Council. The video concludes when a police officer puts his hand over the camera and threatens to confiscate it unless the cameraman stops filming. El-Shazly said during Wednesday evening's edition of "Al-Ashera Masaan that she has been informed by the Interior Ministry that an investigation has been launched into the incident.
