Egyptian police arrest at least 60 activists after Gaza demo

Jan 12, 2009, 16:53 GMT

Cairo- Egyptian security forces detained at least 60 members of the Muslim Brotherhood Monday in the Nile Delta city of Damanhour during a protest organized by the group in support of Gazans, security and Muslim Brotherhood sources told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

A security source, speaking on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak with the media, said that 'around 60' people had been arrested.

Muslim Brotherhood sources, though, said that 180 people had been arrested, and noted that police beat dozens of protesters as they broke up the demonstration.

Security and Muslim Brotherhood sources estimated that the demonstration attracted some 10,000 people, most of them members of the group.

This is the second time in two days that security forces have arrested members of the banned group, Egypt's largest opposition bloc, for participating in demonstrations against Israeli military strikes on Gaza.

Egyptian security officers detained 18 members of the group from their homes in Alexandria shortly before dawn on Sunday under the charge of 'disturbing public order' in connection with their alleged role in organizing a demonstration in Alexandria on Friday, security sources said.

Some 100,000 people gathered in the Mediterranean city, a traditional stronghold of the banned group, to call on the Egyptian government to cut all ties with the Israeli government as the military campaign in Gaza enters its third week.

The crisis in Gaza has heightened tensions between the Muslim Brotherhood and the ruling National Democratic Party.

Clashes erupted in parliament several times over the course of Saturday, with opposition and ruling-party members of parliament angrily accusing each other of being 'traitors' for their respective stances on Gaza.

Fellow Brotherhood MPs had to restrain Ashraf Badr from hitting ruling-party MP Hassan Nashat with his shoe.

Muslim Brotherhood MPs, who occupy their seats as independents because the group is officially banned, have repeatedly called on the Egyptian government to open Egypt's border with Gaza to allow humanitarian supplies to reach the territory and to allow Gazans to flee the fighting.