Police and protesters clashed in the port city of Alexandria on Sunday after a judge investigating the killing of protesters in Egypt's 2011 uprising said he was transferring the case to another court, a court source and a Reuters witness said, according to the news agency.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs wanted the court to consider the report of a fact-finding committee investigating the case against six police officers accused of killing unarmed protesters during the 18-day uprising before proceeding with the defendants' hearings.
Tensions are rising ahead of the second anniversary of the 2011 uprising due on January 25, the date of the first day of the demonstrations, which is expected to trigger protests against new President Mohamed Mursi and his Islamist allies.
After a heated argument with the lawyers, the Alexandria Criminal Court judge adjourned the session and said he was transferring the case to the city's appeals court.
Families watching the proceedings on court television in an adjacent hall erupted in anger and fought with police, who beat them back with batons, the witness said. Clashes continued outside the courtroom after the police drove them out.
Police fired tear gas and one police car was shown in video footage ramming into a protester in a scene reminiscent of the violent clashes in 2011.
Two police cars were set on fire, the witness said. Security forces detained some protesters, the state news agency MENA said, and dozens of people were injured. Unidentified assailants raided the court after the clashes and set fire to legal papers and documents inside, MENA said.
