DOZENS ARRESTED IN RARE ANTIGOVERNMENT PROTEST IN EGYPT

Cairo—egyptian security forces clashed with hundreds of antigovernment protesters in the port city of Suez on Saturday, firing tear gas and live rounds, said several residents who participated in the demonstrations.

A heavy security presence was also maintained in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, the epicenter of Egypt’s 2011 revolution, after protests in several cities called for the removal of generalturned-president Abdel Fattah el-sisi.

Such demonstrations were rare after Egypt effectively banned protests under a law passed following the 2013 military ouster of Islamist ex-president Mohamed Morsi.

Cost of living

But discontent over rising prices has been swelling in Egypt, where el-sisi’s government has imposed strict austerity measures since 2016 as part of a $12-billion loan package from the International Monetary Fund.

Nearly one in three Egyptians live below the poverty line on less than $1.40 a day, according to official figures released in July.

Second night in a row

On Saturday, protesters headed to downtown Suez for the second night in a row, where they were met by security forces barricading the streets and armored vehicles.

At least 74 people were arrested after clashes between the crowds and police in the capital, a security source told Agence France-presse (AFP).

The protests came after Mohamed Aly, an exiled businessman and opponent of elsisi, posted calls online for demonstrations against el-sisi.

“This is a people’s revolution ... We have to link up together as one ... and organize going down to the major squares,” he said on Facebook.

The construction contractor has been posting videos that have gone viral since early September, accusing el-sisi and the military of corruption.

The president denied the allegations last week, saying he was “honest and faithful” to his people and the military but demonstrators took to the streets in Cairo after a charged football match on Friday.