Egypt steps ups security for 2011 uprising anniversary

Streets and public squares of Cairo were calm on Wednesday -- which marked the sixth anniversary of Egypt’s January 25, 2011 uprising -- amid stepped-up security by the Egyptian authorities.


The 18-day uprising in 2011 forced autocratic President Hosni Mubarak to step down after three decades in power.

Although anti-regime demonstrations failed to materialize in the capital, limited protests were reported in the rural Fayoum, Beni Sueif and Mansoura provinces and in the coastal province of Alexandria.

Demonstrators carried Egyptian flags and banners reading, "The revolution goes on" and "Open the squares to protesters".

Throughout the country, Egyptian security forces cordoned off public squares and main streets and set up numerous checkpoints.

In Cairo’s Tahrir Square, meanwhile, the epicenter of the 2011 uprising, small knots of people turned out to voice their support for Egypt’s military-backed regime.

"The army and people are one hand," they shouted. Others chanted, "Long live Egypt."

At one point, a handful of policemen distributed roses to passersby to mark "Police Day" -- an Egyptian national holiday that coincides with the uprising’s anniversary.
 [aa.com.tr]
25/1/17