In the latest of a series of incidents igniting public fury over police brutality, Egyptian policeman shot two people in a Cairo street yesterday, killing one of them.
The cause for the fatal argument? Reportedly, the price of a cup of tea.
The incident was reportedly followed by riots in some areas of Cairo, and crowds smashed a police vehicle as hundreds took to the streets.Security forces confirmed one man was killed and one wounded in the incident, and a video shot at the scene showed angry bystanders surrounded a man on the ground.
On social media, the response to the killing was anger and outrage:
@sally_so1 #امين_شرطه حينما الامر يتعلق بكوباية شاى فلاتحدثنى عن حقوق الانسان pic.twitter.com/RD71xIX0B6
— يارب عجل بنصرك (@hosnygheith) 19 April 2016
In Egypt a cup of tea is more important than human rights.
Egyptian policeman kills a man, wounds another...OVER A BLOODY CUP OF TEA. I am so done with Egypt. https://t.co/ljGnhrImMS
— Fatima Said (@fattysaid) 19 April 2016
The incident highlighted much deeper issues with Egyptian governance, and the regime which has come under increasing pressure in recent weeks:
#امين_شرطه القضية فى نظام فاسد وفاشل مش بس الشرطة او الامين بتاعها
— Ahmed Mohy (@xmohy) 19 April 2016
It is not only the police the whole regime is corrupt.
يا باشا فى #امين_شرطة قتل مواطن
— مصـــــــــــــرى (@Ih1990I) 19 April 2016
فول على #اخوان ؟
طب لو #مطلعش اخوان#خلاص قول الاخوان اللى #قتلوا
-There is a policeman killed a citizen
-Just say he is a muslim brotherhood
-What if he is not
-Say that the muslim brotherhood killed him
A policeman killed a man.
— HA Hellyer د. إتش (@hahellyer) 19 April 2016
Over a cup of tea.
But, of course, it's not the time for security sector reform.#Egypt https://t.co/JM35gPnvEE
Some twitter users urged calm…
#امين_شرطه والله هوا التعميم دا اكبر غلطه في حيتنا كمصرين اكيد كل مكان وفيه الطيب والوحش
— Abdallah Soliman (@abdallahSN1) 19 April 2016
I don’t think that we should generalize, in every place you will find the good and the bad.
Others offset the rage on the streets with acerbic wit and sarcasm:
المجرم كان عاوز يحاسب #امين_شرطة علي الشاى
— ناشط مش سياسى (@AhmedKhatab89) 19 April 2016
The criminal, he wanted the policeman to pay for the tea!!
اتبرع بجنيه نردهالك رصاصه #امين_شرطه
— islam mansour (@islam3060) 19 April 2016
Donate a pound every day for Egypt so we can buy a bullet to kill you with.
A security official said the police officer involved was arrested.
