RIOTING IN EGYPT

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17207, 26 July 1921, Page 8

RIOTING IN EGYPT

. r+ ■" MOBS* GRAVE BEHAVIOUR. OBGY Or DESTBUCTION. Accounts of grave riots in Alexandria by anti-Government mobs are contained in Egyptian files just to hand. The*disorders commenced in the latter part of May. For tforee days huge mobs paraded the streets. They were supplied with vast quantities of stones, many having tins filled with petroleum and spirits.. They made no secret of their intention to resort to armm if necessary. Prior to this disgraceful scenes had taken place ivhen gangs of small native boys broke windows of trams at • Mazarita. Shop, windows were broken on the night of May 19t)h, great damage.was done at a prominent store, and lampposts were, damaged with deliberate wantonness. The riots, which began by being political, were seized upon by the roughs of the Karmous quarter and all the scum of the maritime portion of the city as a good opportunity for pillage. The disorders wore fiis't. inspired, it seems, by a desire to show tinat the Government could be defied, and during the street demonstrations the rioters seemed to be eager to encounter, any attempt on the part of the police to interfere with them. The violent form of disorders began shortly after the Isha prayers at the Aboul Abbas mosque, where a multitude met and mardhed to Mahamed.■ Aly square. When the mob arrived at the police headquarters, the Leboane Caracol, some of ordered the police to shout for the political, leader, Zaghloul, and as the police'did not comply, they hurled stones at tJhem. The latter tried to defend themselves, and then the 'mob. became suddenly infuriated and laid siege to the Caracol. All the windows were smashed, but the crowds were unable to effect an entry. One, policeman was injured as he was trying to 'close the'door. After smashing dhop windows the mob proceeded to break show-cases in the stores. The j mob then rushed through the streets to I the Cairo railway station. The demonstration came to an end at 2a.m., in order that the demonstrators ebould take, tfheir last meal* before sunrise. The European .quarters of t"he city were again visited by , thousands of i roughs, on the afternoon of May 20th. j The rioters were armed with sticks, heavy beams, posts and stones, the lat-; ter of the size of bricks, and conveniently placed in hand-carts, ready, presumably, for use. Men and youths waved their sticks, rushed through the" streets and those on the pavements menacingly banged walls. Some shopkeepers hastily put up their shutters, while others, who would ordinarily have opened their shops at 3 p.m., only did so partially, for at 4J5 p.m. bands of small boys brandishing large sticks raced through the streets. . The fury of the mob was aroused by the arrest of several persons. Several political'leaders addressed the mob, urging them to refrain from violence and night demonstrations. However, When the mosque service was over that day a very large number of people assembled in front of the mosque and began a demonstration. A company of men wa» employed by the demonstrators to carry stones for them, and several of the municipal carts were seized for ; that purpose. Most of the business establishments were closed until the demonstrators had passed. The latter, shortly"after 3 p.m., paused"in front of a police station and demanded the release of four men who had been arrested in the morning. As the police did not comply with Hie demand, the mob com- : meneed to stone the station, damaging the windows. , ~

The authorities received word at 7 p.m. that firing was going on in Marina street. A few minutes before that two machine guns • had. been seen going in that direction, and Lewis guns and armoured cars were at that hour also inj, evidence. The mob attacked the trams in the Moharrem Bey quarter. A remarkable scene was witnessed at 4 p.m., when hordes of the lowest class of Egyptian women from the Ghenya quarter jumpecTon the trams and threw the passengers off, amid extraordinary confusion.. The women, after riding some distance, changed trams and went for a ride back to their homes after throwing, oiit the second batch of passengers. The tram employees were helpless. In one quarter a motor fire engine was de-. i stroyed by the mob. . ' I The disorders were quelled by B'p.m. on May 20th. Bvitish and Egyptinn po:ice patrolling the streets. By that time many "had been killed and wounded. The ambulance of the First Aid Society hnrl to be requisitioned to transport the wounded. .