Yesterday before, 14th of May, after a violent clash between the police force and Al-Warraq Island`s inhabitants the police force applied a random arrest of 150 inhabitants from their homes.

The inhabitants of the island were demonstrating against a government`s decision, which divides the island between two governorates.  According to that decision, a part of the island will belong to Al-Giza governorate; and the other part will belong to 6 of October governorate.  Such a decision will cause many problems to the inhabitants especially in relation to their children schools. Thus, the inhabitants who live in the part that belongs to 6 of October City, would not be able to place their children in schools that locates in the part belongs to Al-Giza governorate and they would have to place them in schools in 6 of October City, which is far from their homes by more than 40 K.m. This would not be the only problem that the inhabitant will suffer, but the decision will influence in all of their living matters.

According to the inhabitants, they tried to reach any official to speak to them, but all of their tries gone with the wind. Accordingly, yesterday before, the inhabitants organized a demonstration from 1:00 pm to 9:00 pm on the ring road that a part of it locates at their neighborhood. According to what the inhabitants said, at 9:00 they surprised by a huge police force that through them by gas bombs and rubber pullets. As a result, the inhabitants paid back by stones.  A number of police officers and soldiers have been injured.

During the clash, the police could not arrest any of the inhabitants who left the place, however; the police applied a random arrest of people from their homes regardless if those people were participating in the demonstration or not.

However, according to the official tale, the inhabitants were demonstrating and the Giza governor went to them to discuss the issue, telling them that everything will be Okay and that the government will discuss the decision again. The inhabitants did not believe the governor and they started to through him by stones, which led the police force to reply by rubber pullets and gas bombs.

Yesterday, the persecution started interrogating 65 of inhabitants and the rest of the arrested inhabitants have been released from the police station.

The persecution renewed the imprisonment of 60 of the inhabitants for 4 days for charges of inciting riots; disable transportation; destruction of public property, and attacks on security forces.

Despite ECHR condemns all kinds of violence, the Center believes this is an inevitable consequence of the non-application of the principle of consultation or participation by the government in decisions that affect peoples` lives in Egypt, a situation that led to lack of confidence of citizens in their governments.