Egypt Court Approves Return of Police Officers on Campuses

The Court for Urgent Matters has ruled that police officers can be redeployed permanently on university campuses.

Police officers were banned from campuses by a High Administrative Court ruling in 2010.

The ban was challenged by supporters of the interim government amid widespread protests, mainly by Islamists, on campuses following the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.

In response, the cabinet allowed police to enter campuses to quell the protests.

Police have frequently stormed campuses to break up protests, leaving a number of students dead and dozens arrested.

Monday’s court ruling comes after the government postponed the beginning of the new semester until 8 March for security reasons.

Last week, interim President Adly Mansour amended a law to allow university heads to expel student protesters.

Mansour said students could be expelled for endangering the educational process or targeting a university’s facilities, work or exams, attacking people, public or private property inside the campus, and inciting or participating in violence.

Source: Ahram Online