On April 9, the administration of Kasr Al Ainy Medical School sent an official letter to the Interior Ministry expressing its approval of the entry and stationing of police forces on its campus. This decision followed the same approval expressed by Cairo University and Al-Azhar University, which are witnessing ongoing student protests that often end with the arrest of dozens of students. Previously, police were not allowed on campus grounds and security was maintained by private guards employed by the universities.

The students’ response was voiced by Mahmoud Salah, a spokesman for Students Against the Coup at Al-Azhar University. Salah said that any action taken by the university to stop the students’ demonstrations will not discourage them from continuing their protests to topple the military rule, secure the release of students detained since the events of June 30 and prosecute those responsible for the killing of students who were protesting on campus.

“Students in various Egyptian universities are constantly staging protests and are countered by security forces with tear gas, bullets and live ammunition,” explained Salah to Al-Monitor. He also asserted that the higher the number of victims, the angrier students get.

For his part, Interior Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Hani Abdul Latif denied in a statement to Al-Monitor the return of regular university guards, saying that police forces stationed at universities are trained to break up riots and their task is to end any disputes that occur outside campus grounds. He explained that they have the right to enter the university premises in coordination with the heads of universities to prevent students from vandalizing and stirring chaos and control protests. “These forces only used tear gas to disperse students, and they arrested those involved in acts of vandalism,” said Abdul Latif.