CAIRO — Mohammed Ismail woke up June 4 to the sounds of security forces trying to enter the Izbat Nadi as-Sayd district in Alexandria where he resides, in an attempt to evacuate the area and expel the residents from their homes. The situation escalated and clashes broke out between the residents and the security forces.
The Izbat Nadi as-Sayd district sits at the entrance to Alexandria governorate, 200 kilometers (124 miles) north of Cairo. Egyptian authorities are seeking to evacuate the area and give the residents alternative apartments for rent in other areas, as part of government plans to give the land to investors and allow the army’s Engineering Authority to set up projects there, which the residents strongly reject.