We will not allow any other sit-in in any square in any place in the country: Egypt's interior minister

CAIRO - Reuters

Egypt's army personnel take up positions during clashes with members of the Muslim Brotherhood and supporters of ousted Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi in Cairo, Aug. 14. REUTERS photo

Egypt's interior minister pledged on Aug. 14 to restore the kind of security seen in the days of ousted President Hosni Mubarak, a sign of renewed confidence permeating a police force whose reputation for brutality fuelled the 2011 uprising.

Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim was speaking to journalists after the police used force to break up two sit-in camps set up by supporters of deposed President Mohamed Morsi, triggering violence in which scores of people were killed. Ibrahim said that he will not allow any more protest camps. He also said that 43 members of Egypt's police force were killed during the crackdown.

Addressing the complaints of many Egyptians who are tired of the insecurity that has blighted the country since Mubarak was toppled in 2011, Ibrahim evoked the days of the deposed autocrat as a model for the future.

"I promise that as soon as conditions stabilise and the Egyptian street stabilises, as soon as possible, security will be restored to this nation as if it was before Jan. 25, and more," he said.

"We will not allow any other sit-in in any square in any place in the country," he added.

The 2011 uprising erupted on Jan. 25, deliberately timed by pro-democracy activists to coincide with national police day.

The police largely disappeared from the streets during the uprising. Since then lax law and order has been a major complaint of many Egyptians who were used to tight policing under Mubarak.

In the weeks since Morsi was deposed by the military in response to mass protests against his rule, the police have been more visible in the streets and a public relations campaign has sought to improve their image.

Rights activists criticised Mursi for failing to drive through any police reform during his year in office. 

Last month, Ibrahim announced the revival of a political security agency notorious for an instrument of oppression under Mubarak, drawing criticism from pro-democracy activists.