Family members of defendants sentenced to death and life imprisonment for the attack on Arish’s police station continued to protest on 23 July Street in the city’s downtown area on Friday evening.
The defendants were sentenced by the Criminal Court of Ismailia last Tuesday. Fourteen received the death penalty, while four others were sentenced to life imprisonment and six were acquitted.
The case stems from the attack on 29 July 2011, when masked gunmen dressed in black and waving black flags attacked a police station and the Bank of Alexandria in Arish. The attack lasted about 12 hours and killed three civilians and two police and army officers.
The protestors, who had started demonstrating after Friday prayers at noon, started a sit-in and tents were erected in the middle of the street.
Police and traffic officers diverted the traffic to the side streets, as protestors, who were accompanied by their children, said they intended to keep protesting overnight.
Eyewitnesses said that police and army forces were present near the demonstration but chose not to intervene.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
