(MintPress) – “Stamp your foot, shoot your gun, Port Said is free,” shouted hundreds of protesters in Egypt Wednesday during the fourth straight day of riots. With ongoing unrest following death sentences handed down to individuals in connection with a football stadium riot killing 74 last year, the Egyptian police appear incapable of quelling the violent uprising against Muhammad Morsi’s government.
Six people have been killed, including two policemen in clashes the week that could lead to a full military occupation of the Mediterranean city if the violence is not subdued.
Local protesters cite waning democratic rights and a distrust of police following the June 2012 presidential elections, the first democratic balloting in Egypt’s history. The political opposition is worried that Muhammad Morsi’s rule is beginning to resemble that of his predecessor, Hosni Mubarak. For many in the ranks of the Port Said protesters, the message is clear, “The people want to overthrow the regime.”
Vigilante groups to the rescue
“Please keep the police away from political problems. Take it from me as a former police general, there are some police now who won’t go to work so they won’t confront their relatives,” an unnamed Port Said protester said.
Many police have sympathized with the plight of the protesters, angered over the death sentences handed down by an Egyptian court earlier this year. A February 2012 riot between rival soccer fans led to the deaths of 74 in the worst bout of soccer violence in Egypt’s history.
A court sentenced 21 defendants to death in January, a driving force behind the current street violence in the impoverished Egyptian city. Police were once among those seeking to overthrow Hosni Mubarak, standing shoulder to shoulder with civilians demonstrating in Tahrir square.
Many police come from impoverished backgrounds, entering the police force to obtain a decent paying job.
Officially, unemployment stands at 13 percent in Egypt, according to government statistics, but many believe this figure is much higher, especially for youth under the age of 35. Poverty stands at 25.5 percent based on 2011 statistics, with millions still searching for employment and educational opportunities.
“The people are furious over inflation and unemployment. This comes out toward the police, but in reality we are the same as the people,” said Naqeeb Awel Mohamed, an officer in Imbaba for 13 years.
He added, “I made 500 pounds [about $75] a month under Mubarak. I now earn 1,500 pounds. I live two hours away in the countryside. I have only a high school diploma. What else can I do? There is nothing else.”
Police signaled their discontent with Morsi’s policies last month when low-ranking police officers staged a nationwide strike calling for the removal of new Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim. Officers accused Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood of using police as shock troops to suppress public dissent.
The Interior Ministry subdued the police strike by promising to buy 100,000 new nine-millimeter automatic pistols for police.
Tensions were already elevated following a November 2012 presidential decree implementing emergency law and granting the president sweeping powers. After an outpouring of opposition that included bouts of rioting in front of Muslim Brotherhood buildings, the decree was reversed the following month.
Vigilantes, not the police, protect women
Violence has been reported in other cities this week, including Cairo. “Violence is rising everywhere, about 500 injured in one day without any effort for dialogue by the regime. Is there still a president and a government?” opposition politician Mohamed ElBaradei wrote on his Twitter feed. ElBaradei is a reform campaigner and founder of the Constitution Party.
The poor police protection is part of an ongoing security problem. Rampant harassment of women last year led to the creation of vigilante groups, filling a role when police were unwilling to do so. During the four-day Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha last year, more than 1,000 sexual harassment complaints were filed in Egypt. With virtually no police response, citizens organized the “Be a Man” initiative, bringing together men and women seeking an end to the widespread harassment.
More than 300 men wearing makeshift uniforms patrolled the streets, attacking perpetrators and spray painting their clothing “I Am a Harasser.” For others engaged in direct confrontations with police, the use of armed force against protesters has become a symbol of the authoritarian face to Muhammad Morsi’s government.
Much of the police force has been diverted from regular police work following President Muhammad Morsi’s declared state of emergency. In response to the ongoing clashes marked by violence, thousands of young men joined Black Bloc, an anarchist group that uses property destruction as a protest tactic.
The group has taken responsibility for stopping public transport and setting fire to some Muslim Brotherhood buildings, mostly in Cairo.
Egypt’s Black Bloc emerged in January, around the second anniversary of the Egyptian revolution issuing a clear message in opposition to the Muslim Brotherhood, or any authority seeking to undermine the goals of the revolution.
The group warned in an online post in January that it would “go down to the streets and never come back,” if Morsi’s government didn’t allow protesters to demonstrate against government policies. There is no accurate record of the numbers affiliated with the group. The Egyptian Black Bloc facebook page claims more than 66,000 members.
Civilians don’t trust the police
“The influence of the police is tainted,” said Mohamed Abdelhadi, a Port Said resident. “People don’t listen to them anymore. When they come to break up a scuffle, the people fighting turn on them. They’re trying to be responsive, but there’s no respect anymore. Fathers can’t even control their children.”
The lack of trust in the police has many Egyptians worried that Morsi is beginning to embody many of the heavy-handed, authoritarian policies of his predecessor, Hosni Mubarak.
Mubarak was ousted from power just 18 days after protests broke out across the country in January 2011. Ruling for more than 40 years, Mubarak enjoyed the backing of the U.S. and other Western powers eager to ensure smooth passage through the Suez canal and a peace treaty with neighboring Israel.
Human Rights Watch Director Heba Morayef believes that Morsi “gave the green light for business as usual to continue abusive practices. Not dealing with the question of police brutality is a ticking time bomb,” Morayef said.
Opposition parties blame the police for torturing and killing activists and protesters. Egyptian human rights groups have criticized Morsi for not reforming the Interior Ministry; they claim it adheres to Mubarak-era brutality. Footage of a naked man being beaten and dragged through the street by police underscored the complaints of human rights organizations.
Muhammad ElBaradei condemned “police brutality,” last month writing on Twitter, “Sustained inhumane torture escalating in violation of all international conventions & legal norms. Back to dark ages of brutality.”
Despite the human rights concerns, the United States has increased funding to Egypt. Secretary of State John Kerry announced $250 million in aid to Egypt this week after Morsi agreed to a $4.8 billion loan package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).