Egyptian court bars police from campus



Students walk past riot police deployed outside the campus of Cairo University during a protest against the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip on November 26, 2008.
Students walk past riot police deployed outside the campus of Cairo University during a protest against the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip on November 26, 2008. About 600 baton-wielding policemen clashed with 300 protesters - independents and members of different opposition groups -- after breaking into the campus despite a court ruling barring security forces from university grounds. Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood group called yesterday on the government to open the Rafah border crossing with Gaza, which Israel blockaded after Hamas seized the territory from the Fatah-dominated government in 2007. AFP PHOTO/CRIS BOURONCLE
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Egypt’s supreme administrative court ruled Wednesday that security forces from the Ministry of Interior should evacuate the Cairo University campus, saying the independence of universities must be respected.

In giving the ruling, the court in Cairo said:

"The constitution of Egypt guarantees the full independence of universities and research centers that contribute to refining knowledge and offering sciences that support the society and pave the way for a better future for the country."

Since 1981, there have been the suppression of protests by students on various campuses in Egypt.

Even with the court's ruling, the students and many others see the ruling as a sham as the government agencies will resort to different tricks to prevent its enforcement.

Intervention by the security forces on Egyptian campuses has had a "terrible" effect on academic life, Mohamed Abouel Ghar a student of Cairo University says.

"All appointments to top academic positions do not depend on elections or academic merits. The university's presidents, deans, as well as lecturers, [must] be approved first by the police authorities, who make sure that the candidate would obey their rules."EGYPT: Court rules that police should leave Cairo University campus »

Student activities have also been seriously affected by such interventions. Student union elections are often marred by violence between the supporters of opposition candidates and the police.

Despite the court's ruling, a day after, 13 students were reportedly injured at Cairo University in clashes with riot police during a protest of the siege of Gaza.

The demonstration staged by more than 1000 students belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood group in front of Cairo University to denounce the siege of the Gaza strip turned into a battle between the protesters and the security forces leading to the injury of thirteen students, including three in serious condition. The injured were taken by ambulance to the Kasr Al Ainy hospital.

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