WILD SCENES IN CAIRO.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 303, 22 December 1937, Page 18

WILD SCENES IN CAIRO.

STUDENTS FIRE ON TROOPS. CAIRO. About seventy people were wounded in one of tlie most serious . riots ever experienced in Cairo. It occurred at the famous El Azhar University, and as a result it has been closed indefinitely. A thousand anti-Government students raided a Blueshirt camp—the Blneshirts, the Wafdist "Youth Army," are fervent supporters of the Nahas Pasha, the Premier—and set fire to it. Twenty-one students were wounded and police were dragged into the precincts of the University and beaten. | Two battalions of troops, as well as police, surrounded the Parliament buildings and Nahas Pasha's residence. Tlie Press was forbidden to publish news of the riot. Reports that five soldiers had been killed were not confirmed. Scores of students were arrested. They put up a stiff fight against the Blneshirts and the troops, burned their classrooms, and fired on the troops with birdshot. The troops replied with ride fire. Several persons were wounded in proand anti-Government parades in the streets. The situation was reminiscent of the anti-British riots of last year.

Events were precipitated by a sitdown strike of 12,000 students at El Azhar, directed against tlie Government and carried out to enforce their demand for the removal of the Blueshirts and the police who had been blockading the university area.

Thousands of yoiinjj men were enrolled in the Blueshirts, only a minority of whom were from the student classes. There were many reports substantial numbers of them are armed. Recently they have been used by Ifhe Government to help the police in the maintenance of order.