Dozens of college students protested in Alexandria for the second day in a row on Monday after more than a dozen students were held by security forces then released within hours on Sunday. On Sunday, students were protesting outside Alexandria University along with some of their parents after having applied for public universities in Alexandria, where they are residents, but were placed in other universities scattered across the country. According to a report by the Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression (AFTE) dedicated to students, the dispersal of the student sit-in was carried out at the hands of both military and civilian police. The report added that "security forces fired live bullets in the air, as well as birdshot." Head of Media Communications at AFTE Nada Kabbary said the students were eventually taken to a police station then released within a few hours, without any investigations. Al-Tayar Al-Sha'aby (Popular Current) Students said in a statement on Monday that it strongly condemns the way the military police dealt with the students on Sunday. The statement added that the students who were held were "forced to sign pledges stating that they will not protest again, which directly violates their freedom and right of protest." "This could have been avoided by listening to their simple demand," the statement read. Al-Tayar Al-Sha'aby Students said they hope that an independent investigation will be launched. A military source has denied that there was military police at the scene and saying it was only regular military personnel, present at the scene to assist the civilian police in tasks like securing the area. The military did not participate in the arrests, the source added.
