EMERGENCY IN EGYPT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 71, Issue 37, 23 November 1950, Page 5

EMERGENCY IN EGYPT

POLICE AT KEY POINTS DEMONSTRATIONS BY STUDENTS < N.Z.P. A.—Copyright' (Rec. 8.30 a.m.) , CAIRO, Nov. 22. A state of emergency was proclaimed throughout Cairo, Alexandria and Port Said to-day. Steel-hefrneted police are standing by at key points to cope with possible disturbances as a result of Britain’s rejection of Egypt’s call for the evacuation of British troops. Students in universities and schools were “on strike” and planning mass demonstrations. More than 10,000 Cairo students are affected. The first demonstrations against Britain’s latest refusal to evacuate troops broke out in Alexandria yesterday. The striking students marched through the city shouting slogans “Egypt a free country,” and “Farouk, King of the Nile Valley.” Thousands of students ■ parading through Cairo streets this mofning carried banners and shouted “Down with British Imperialism!”

The demonstrators converged on Fuad El Awal University, where they had called a meeting to discuss Mr Bevin’s answer to Egypt’s demand for the evacuation of British troops. British Army sources in Cairo said that Port Said had been out of bounds to British troops for the last three days, but they were allowed to go into Ismailia. Both towns are in the Canal Zone. Students in Alexandria demonstrated outside the British Consulate, which is next door to the British Union Club. The usual police guard was heavily reinforced. All was quiet this morning outside the British Embassy in Cairo, but the gates were closed and strong police forces were on duty. Statement by Nahas Pasha The Egyptian Prime Minister, Nahas Pasha, to-day declared that his Government was confident that it would succeed “in achieving national aspirations by political means.” He added: “We have other means in case of failure, but we shall never let the nation down.” He was addressing students demonstrating outside the Presidency against the British Foreign Minister, Mr Ernest Bevin’s statement that Britain would not evacuate the Suez Canal zone or agree to the incorporation of Sudan into Egypt without Sudan’s consent. > Nahas Pasha said: “Mr Bevin’s statement in the House of Commons opens —in his own way—the door for negotiations. We have also opened the door in our own way—by demanding evacuation and unity of the Nile Valley.” He appealed to students to leave the matter in responsible hands and to return to their studies.