Around 4,000 students from four Egyptian universities held a protest outside the campus of Cairo University Wednesday against Israeli violations in occupied Jerusalem and the rededication of a synagogue near Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam's third holiest shrine. The students from Cairo, Al-Azhar, Ain Shams and Helwan Universities, who were protesting for the third consecutive day, gathered in front of the main gate of the Cairo University, the country's largest public university, as black-clad riot police cordoned them off. They clashed with police who tried to ban them from roaming the streets around the university's buildings as the angry students shouted: "Down with Israel". The Israeli flag was burned during the protest. At least ten students were slightly hurt in the clashes with the police whose numbers were estimated at 1,000 in 50 troop carriers. "We want nothing but to tell the Zionists,we will not forget Al-Aqsa. Muslims will stand against all bids to Judaise Jerusalem," one of the protesters said. Among the banners raised by students were “Raise your voice Muslims to rescue Al-Aqsa” and “Wake up Arabs, Israel is stealing Jerusalem”. In a statement after the protests, the students urged Arab leaders to take firm action to stop the Israeli practices to Judaise Jerusalem and defend Al-Aqsa Mosque. Demonstrators distributed a statement entitled: "A Students' Intifada for Al-Aqsa". "The continuing Israeli policy of incursions and attacks on the worshippers in Al-Aqsa and attempts to Judaise Jerusalem are the first steps to divide the Arabs and Muslims, to force them to accept that the Jews include the Ibrahimi and Bilal bin Rabah mosques as among their heritage and will ban prayer at Al-Aqsa after that," read the statement. Meanwhile, Israel Wednesday lifted its tight restrictions on Palestinian access to Jerusalem's holiest site and called off an extended West Bank closure after days of clashes between Palestinians and Israeli security forces. While Israel had moved to end the lockdown, it also kept thousands of police officers on alert as an uneasy calm settled over the holy city. The violence took place against the backdrop of deep Palestinian frustration over a yearlong standstill in peace talks and dovetailed with the most serious US-Israeli diplomatic feud in decades. Input from news agencies
