Student Death Sparks Protests At Egypt's Universities

An Egyptian university student on Tuesday succumbed to injuries sustained during clashes last week between student supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi and security forces, sparking protests at several of the country's universities.



According to Anadolu Agency correspondents, student protests were staged on the campuses of Alexandria, Al-Azhar, Beni Sueif, Kafr al-Sheikh, Zagazig, Fayoum, Cairo and Suez universities to protest the death of student Omar al-Sherif.



The slain law student had suffered a severe head injury when security forces – using teargas and birdshot – dispersed a protest last week at Alexandria University.



In a statement, the pro-Morsi "Students against the Coup" campaign regretted al-Sherif's untimely death, going on to describe him as "this year's first student martyr."



Since the new school year began last week, university students across Egypt have stage demonstrations, organized mainly by the "anti-coup" students' campaign.



Student protesters have decried a fresh wave of arrests of politically-active students, along with the continued detention of thousands of others, many of whom have been held by authorities since last summer.



Universities across Egypt were overwhelmed by protests during the first week of the new academic year last week, amid stepped-up campus security measures, including gate-screening for students.



The previous academic year, which began shortly after Morsi's ouster by the army and the onset of a deadly crackdown on the ousted leader's supporters, saw a wave of university protests that left several students dead and scores in detention.



Many students who had taken part in the protests have since been expelled by their respective universities.



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