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Why Egypt's ministries are on the move

Egypt is moving several state institutions out of downtown Cairo in what some say is a way to avoid the protests that have long centered in the area.
A protester spray paints a picture of the late activist Khaled Said on the emblem of the Ministry of Interior building during a demonstration against police brutality in Cairo, on the first anniversary of Said's death, June 6, 2011. Said, 28, was beaten to death by police in Alexandria in June 2010 with his body barely recognisable after he posted a video showing police officers sharing the spoils of a drugs bust, according to his family. The act of brutality galvanised further protests, in particular, the
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CAIRO — Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi inaugurated a new office of the Interior Ministry at the Police Academy in New Cairo, east of the Egyptian capital. The April 27 move came as part of the ministry's relocation from the Cairo's downtown area, which has become an all but official protest center over the last several years.

The city of New Cairo, which was established by presidential decree in 2000, is comprised of a number of affluent residential complexes. It has also become the home of key state institutions that have recently been moved out of downtown Cairo, such as the prosecutor-general's office, the Police Academy, state security offices and the State Lawsuits Authority.

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