Egypt: Bread Protest Leaves 10 Dead!

by Barry ORegan | June 9, 2008 at 05:11 am

690 views | 0 Recommendations | 0 comments

Opinion
Barry Artiste, Now Public Contributor

Something is seriously wrong in our Society, when a life is worth more than a Loaf of Bread, as thousands demonstrate against the Egyptian Government rationing of flour, when countries like North America are one of the Richest Bread Baskets in the world. One would think Egypt would have access to our flour. After all, every other country does.

CAIRO, Tempers flare over access to bread

Mon, June 9, 2008

Tempers flare over access to breadBy APEGYPT -- Thousands of demonstrators clashed with police during a protest over flour rations in a town on Egypt's Mediterranean coast, state media said yesterday.

A state-owned newspaper said some 8,000 protesters sealed off the main Cairo-Mediterranean highway for seven hours Saturday and burned tires to stop traffic. Police fired tear gas and arrested dozens to disperse the crowd,

A security official said police were questioning 87 suspects.

The protesters were angered by the decision of authorities to stop distributing subsidized flour directly to residents and instead deliver it exclusively to bakeries, the official said.

Fishermen prefer to bake a type of bread suited to long fishing voyages, instead of buying the standard subsidized bread from bakeries.