Cairo police fire tear gas, break up anti-government rallies

Baku. 15 April. REPORT.AZ/ Egyptian security forces fired rounds of tear gas on Friday to break up demonstrators rallying against President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi's announced decision to hand over two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia, Report informs referring to the Russian media.

Riot police first cracked down on protesters in Cairo's twin city of Giza, where demonstrators had gathered in two locations after Friday prayers - near Mustafa Mahmoud and al-Istiqama mosques - and started marching toward the downtown Tahrir Square.

Many carried signs reading, "Land is Honor" and denouncing the surrender of the islands. Others chanted, "People want to down the regime" and "Down with the military rule!"

After police fired tear gas, the protesters ran in all directions, according to videos posted online by activists. Several photojournalists covering the protests were detained near another mosque in Giza, witnesses at the scene who spoke on condition of anonymity because they feared for their own safety.