Student members of the Salafist Raya Party, founded by Egypt's disqualified presidential candidate Hazem Salah Abou-Ismail, issued a statement Wednesday accusing the president of Al-Mansoura University of hiring thugs to use against protests on campus.
Al-Mansoura University has witnessed weeks of protests by students due to what they describe as "administrative negligence," including at the university hospital which, they claim, led to the recent death of first-year student Gehad Moussa.
Moussa was hit by a car earlier this month that was allegedly driven by a university professor. Students accuse university authorities of covering up evidence of the professor's culpability.
According to Al-Ahram Arabic news website, clashes broke out Tuesday when some students barricaded the university's administrative building while others protested the move.
Tuesday's protest, dubbed 'Tuesday of Violence,' followed another rally last week in which thousands of students turned out to demand justice for the slain Moussa.
The group that attempted to barricade the building reportedly included members of the "Hazemoon" movement, named after popular Salafist leader Hazem Abu-Ismail. Some Hazemoon reportedly came from outside the university, stoking clashes.
Raya’s statement noted that several students were injured and arrested during the clashes.
“Security left the thugs and kidnapped the injured protesters,” read the statement published on the Students of Raya Facebook page.
The statement added that among the arrested were engineering students Amr Rabei and Ahmed Lotfi, both of Cairo University.
“The students of Raya consider that the post of university president is no longer occupied. From now on he is only an enemy, for he is a criminal who hired thugs to attack students,” added the statement.
