Students have threatened to escalate their protest against al-Azhar officials Hundreds of students from Cairo's al-Azhar University have taken to the streets in protest after a fresh outbreak of food poisoning on campus. Students blocked the main road outside the university and called on the authorities to prosecute those responsible for the outbreak.The Egyptian Ministry of Health confirmed that 131 students were admitted to hospitals in and around Cairo.
Cairo Police Chief Osama el-Saghir ordered security forces to contain the protests and told reporters that everything was in control.
An Egyptian student, Mahmoud abdel-Kareem, told Arabstoday that students were angry at the Grand Imam of Azhar, Ahmed el-Tayyeb and university officials' failure to clamp down on the food poisoning. He claimed that when a similar incident occurred at Cairo University, Egypt’s Minister of Supply Bassem Ouda dealt with it swiftly.
Another student, Alaa Mohamed, explained that the protest would continue until the administration takes action against corrupt individuals.
Egyptian professor Mohamed Abdel Azeem argued that the government's failure to punish those who were responsible for the first outbreak of food poisoning was the reason for the second incident.
Around 500 students were hospitalised on April 1 after suffering food poisoning at the same cafeteria.The incident led to mass demonstrations by students, some of whom called for the sacking of el-Tayyeb.
However, the grand imam dismissed the President of al-Azhar University, Osama al-Abd, and an investigation into the case is still pending.