The Shura Council responded to the most recent bout of nationwide violence Sunday by agreeing to form a fact-finding committee to investigate the violence in Port Said, while MPs demanding measures such as an anti-riot law.
The Health Ministry has said 31 people died in Port Said, including two police officers, while 555 were injured in clashes between protesters and security forces.
Shura Council MPs also demanded that an anti-riot law be issued and that the army be granted judicial arrest power in Port Said and Suez to restore security in the two cities, which have witnessed violence since Friday.
Port Said MP Reda Nour Eddin blamed security forces for the Port Said clashes, while MP Hussein Zayed warned of the multitude of weapons possessed by people whom he called thugs in the streets.
“There is a plot to separate Port Said from the rest of Egypt,” Zayed said.
MP Gamal Heiba denounced the clashes and blamed parts of society that do not wish the country well. He demanded that the army be granted power to arrest protesters, while MP Tharwat Abdallah demanded legislation against riots and thuggery.
Clashes in cities such as Cairo and Suez started in protest of the Muslim Brotherhood during the 25 January revolution anniversary last week.
Port Said’s clashes began in response to a court ruling to recommend the death sentence for 21 defendants convicted of involvement in the stadium massacre in the city last year, in which 72 football fans died.
