US Students Arrested in Cairo

They allegedly threw flaming cannisters at Egyptian security forces
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 22, 2011 10:25 AM CST
US Students Arrested in Cairo
This screenshot from state-run television shows the three arrested Americans.   (YouTube)

Three Americans studying in Egypt have been arrested for allegedly hurling Molotov cocktails at Egyptian security forces amidst the violent protests sweeping Cairo. The three boys were shown lined against a wall on state-run TV, with ID cards from the American University in Cairo and an Indiana driver’s license visible. The American University has them as Luke Gates, 21, from Indiana University; Gregory Porter, 19, from Drexel; and Derrik Sweeney, 19, from Georgetown, the Washington Post reports. The university is reportedly working on securing their release in tandem with the US Embassy. Gates has been openly despondent on his Twitter account, notes the Washington Post.

The arrests come amid a new wave of unrest in Egypt that today entered its fourth day, with a massive “million-man march” planned in Tahrir Square. But several top protest leaders—including Mohamed ElBaradei and Revolutionary Youth Coalition leader Ghazali Harb— are skipping the march to protest the violence. “We can not negotiate with anyone still doing such violence,” Harb said. (More Egypt stories.)

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