Egyptian police arrested 21 people taking part in protests against the government’s surprise decision to hike fares on Cairo’s subway as part of austerity measures meant to boost the economy, officials said on Saturday.
The arrests, mostly at Helwan metro station on the southern outskirts of Cairo, took place two days after the government announced the second round of subway fare hikes since March 2017.
The hikes were by up to 250%, raising fares from two to up to seven Egyptian pounds (11 US cents to 39 cents) depending on the number of stations commuters travel.
Videos circulating online show dozens of outraged commuters yelling and chanting anti-government slogans at Cairo metro stations, with some jumping over electronic ticket gates to avoid paying the fares.
Other videos showed plainclothes policemen scuffling with protesters while trying to arrest them. One showed a woman berating the men at the station for not being brave enough to challenge the hikes.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.
Although small, Saturday’s protests were the first by Egyptians angered by the government’s austerity measures, which started in 2014 but escalated after a deal was struck in 2016 with the International Monetary Fund for a $12 billion loan.
The government said the latest hike in metro fares was designed to secure maintenance funds for the poorly-maintained network as its owning company, which has been operating in the red for years, grapples with mounting debts.
It also said the higher fares would contribute to the purchase of new trains and improved services.
