Clashes broke out again Sunday night between residents of Warraq Island and security forces stationed there after police stopped a resident from bringing cement onto the island, lawyer Maged Mabrouk, an island resident, told Al Manassa.
Mabrouk said security forces stationed at the Nile ferry in the Warraq area of Giza stopped resident Mohamed Saad as he passed in his private car and barred him from crossing to the island because he was carrying “five bags of cement.” A verbal altercation followed before Saad was “beaten” and the forces seized the car, he added.
The incident comes amid repeated tensions on the island in recent years over a dispute between some residents and authorities over redevelopment plans, demolition orders, and expropriations.
For months, police forces stationed at the island’s entrances have carried out restrictive campaigns, including blocking the passage of construction materials onto the island, to force residents to accept government-approved compensation in exchange for giving up and evacuating their homes and land.
Several of Saad’s relatives and other island residents arrived immediately after the incident, fueling anger that escalated into limited clashes with security forces around the ferry, according to the lawyer.
The confrontation later widened on the island after security forces seized Saad’s car. Saad appeared in a livestream on his Facebook account showing residents running back and forth around the checkpoint area under the Rod El-Farag Axis on the island.
Screenshot from live video of clashes between residents of Warraq island and security forces, May 17, 2026The video showed young island residents gathering amid rising tension. Screams could be heard as residents threw stones and fireworks toward security forces, who responded by throwing stones.
Mabrouk said a group of young island residents, estimated at 10 to 15 people, intervened to prevent Saad’s arrest, adding that they managed to “free him” from the forces before later withdrawing from the site of the clashes.
Mabrouk added that the incident resulted in no arrests or injuries among residents, but confirmed that Saad was assaulted.
According to Mabrouk, Saad had previously been hit by birdshot in one eye during earlier confrontations on the island while measurement work tied to expropriation plans was being carried out. Residents paid for his treatment after he underwent several surgeries, he added.
During the video, Saad said that he began trading construction materials after an eye injury forced him to quit contracting and then taxi work, blaming security forces for the injury, the loss of his livelihood, and renewed restrictions on his trade.
Mabrouk said the daily ban on construction materials and some home appliances has made it difficult for residents to bring basic supplies onto the island, amounting to what they describe as an “effective siege.”
The island has previously witnessed repeated clashes linked to bans on bringing in construction materials or the enforcement of demolition orders, including incidents documented in videos in recent months.
In April, clashes broke out between island residents and security forces after several residents were detained and restrictions were imposed on the ferry. Security forces arrested two residents before later releasing them.
The dispute dates back years. In 2018, the Cabinet issued Decree No. 20 establishing a new urban community on the island, triggering mass expropriations. Authorities issued eviction orders and seized land—including a 61,013‑feddan parcel—to build 68 residential towers under the New Urban Communities Authority.
By July 2024, the Ministry of Housing said more than 76% of the island had been cleared—993 feddans out of 1,295 targeted for redevelopment.
The campaign took a symbolic turn in July 2022 when the State Information Service rebranded the area as “Horus City,” announcing a redevelopment project requiring 17.5 billion Egyptian pounds in investment, with projected revenues of 122.54 billion pounds over 25 years.
It said the project includes eight investment zones, a commercial zone and a premium housing zone. It will also include a central park, a green area, Marina 1 and 2, a tourist riverfront, a cultural zone and a tourist corniche.
