Fayoum University Investigates 8 Students Over Campus Protests

The head of Fayoum University has ordered an investigation into eight students accused of participating in campus protests on Sunday, Al-Ahram Arabic news website reported.

Hundreds of university students participated in protests on Sunday at six universites, the second day of the new academic year, against the posting of private security guards on campuses and the detention of students at previous protests.

At Fayoum University in Upper Egypt, tens of students protested on campus. The eight students being investigated face accusations of protesting without a permit, which violates the protest law, and igniting fireworks on campus.

At a Sunday press conference, Higher Education Minister El-Sayed Abdel-Khalek said all students who protested at universities on Sunday had been filmed on CCTV, and would be expelled by the evening of the same day.

Private security company, Falcon, was hired to guard university campuses after frequent clashes between police and students during the previous academic year.

Student protests started last year to condemn the ouster of president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013. Hundreds of students were arrested during on-campus protests that often descended in violent clashes with police.

In the last academic year, at least 14 students killed. This prompted the higher education ministry to hire Falcon to guard 12 public universities nationwide.

Source : Ahram online