Clashes between security forces and dozens of Warraq Island residents resumed Monday evening for a second consecutive day near the Qollali ferry in the Warraq urban district, ending in stone-throwing and an undetermined number of injuries among residents, an eyewitness told Al Manassa.
The source, who requested anonymity, said the incident began when a police officer searched a car carrying a man, his wife, her sister, and three children for construction materials, which are banned from entering the island.
The search extended to bags containing women’s clothing, angering the wife, who viewed it as an invasion of her and her sister’s privacy. The officer then raised his voice at her, prompting her husband to intervene in her defense.
As the argument escalated, dozens of residents gathered in an attempt to defuse the situation before security forces intervened and violently dispersed them, according to the source.
The eyewitness said security forces used batons and metal traffic barriers to disperse the residents. Some residents responded by throwing stones at the forces, who then threw stones back, injuring several residents.
The same officer was involved the previous afternoon in an assault on three island residents after searching a private car for construction materials, the source said.
Clashes broke out Sunday evening after the assault, as residents objected to restrictions on access through the Qollali ferry, one of the main crossings connecting the island to the Warraq urban district.
The incident comes amid longstanding tensions over redevelopment plans, demolition orders, and expropriations. Many residents have refused to leave their homes, and the dispute has previously led to deadly confrontations, including the fatal police shooting of an island resident in July 2017.
Clashes resumed in April and May over the detention of residents, restrictions on ferry access, and the ban on construction materials entering the island.
In 2018, the Cabinet issued a decree establishing a new urban community on the island. It was followed by expropriation orders benefiting the New Urban Communities Authority, including the seizure of land needed to build 68 towers in New Warraq City.
In July 2022 the State Information Service rebranded the area as “Horus City,” announcing a redevelopment project requiring 17.5 billion Egyptian pounds (about $350 million) in investment, with projected revenues of 122.54 billion pounds ($2.45 billion) over 25 years. The plan features eight investment zones, luxury housing, commercial districts, a cultural area, green space, and twin riverfront marinas.
