The most widespread news in today’s newspapers is related to protesters being run down in Mansoura and Port Said, as fresh clashes broke out between protesters and riot police. Independent Al-Shorouk newspaper reports that the scope of the bloody confrontations expanded in both cities after recurring incidents of police cars running over protesters.
It is not a mere coincidence that a police car runs over five people in Port Said leaving them seriously injured, only two days after an armored police vehicle crushed Hossam Abdallah Abdel Azim in Mansoura, as activists confirm that the police cars have intentionally run over the protesters, while condemning police brutality in dealing with demonstrators.
In Port Said, a group of residents said that the vehicle ran over five people on Mohamed Ali Street as dozens of ultras supporting Masry football team and other local residents were marching to demand companies to close their offices in solidarity with the civil disobedience campaign.
At the same time in Mansoura, clashes escalated between protesters and police forces after the funeral of the young man hit by a police vehicle. The Black Bloc group condemned police violence and called on other protestors to join them in Daqahlia, according to Youm7, which reports that the Popular Current and the Popular Coalition headquarters received tens of injured protestors hit by cartridge cases.
Privately owned Al-Masry Al-Youm and Al-Tahrir lead with “Run over and severe violence in Morsy’s state” and “Dragged and crushed killings” respectively, as both highlight yesterdays’ violent incidents.
Al-Masry Al-Youm writes that dozens of angry protesters threw rocks at Mansoura general prison during the funeral, as mobs also broke into Mansoura's security directorate.
It continues that the city of Tanta, in Gharbiya governorate, witnessed street fights between protesters and security forces and that protesters besieged the security directorate, which led to police forces firing tear gas to disperse them. Moreover, the political movements and forces in Ismailia have called for a civil disobedience campaign to start today.
Privately owned Al-Watan newspaper writes that police continued to brutally beat, drag and crush protesters in four governorates, whereas the Mansoura battle continued for 12 hours, leaving one killed and 112 injured in Mansoura alone.
State owned Al-Akhbar leads saying that the High Judicial Elections Commission announced Saturday that candidates could start applying on 9 March to stand for House of Representatives elections.
State owned Al-Ahram writes that commission head Samir Abul Maty said candidates could apply through 16 March, and that the applications would go to a special committee for each governorate. However, the opposition Al-Wafd newspaper reads “No retreat from boycott.” The newspaper reports that the National Salvation Front continues to hold meetings with all social classes to come up with a plan to boycott the parliamentary elections.
A number of today’s newspaper also focused on US Secretary of State John Kerry's visit to Egypt. Al-Watan writes that Kerry will meet with NSF leader Amr Moussa, whereas the NSF announced that it would not accept any pressure to participate in the elections.
Al-Shorouk also highlights that NSF will not attend meetings with Kerry, adding that there are ongoing communications with the US administration to explain its reasons for boycotting the parliamentary elections.
One of the common topics in the news today was the swarms of locusts appeared in Cairo skies, Al-Akhbar reported, adding that the insects were clearly visible in the Moqattam neighborhood, moving toward Nasr City, New Cairo and Katamiya areas, and that swarms had also reached the Cairo-Suez highway.
Egypt’s papers:
Al-Ahram: Daily, state-run, largest distribution in Egypt
Al-Akhbar: Daily, state-run, second to Al-Ahram in institutional size
Al-Gomhurriya: Daily, state-run
Rose al-Youssef: Daily, state-run
Al-Dostour: Daily, privately owned
Al-Shorouk: Daily, privately owned
Al-Watan: Daily, privately owned
Al-Wafd: Daily, published by the liberal Wafd Party
Youm7: Daily, privately owned
Al-Tahrir: Daily, privately owned
Al-Sabah: Daily, privately own
Freedom and Justice: Daily, published by the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party
Sawt al-Umma: Weekly, privately owned
Al-Arabi: Weekly, published by the Nasserist Party
Al-Nour: Official paper of the Salafi Nour Party
