Security sources in Egypt reported that a state employee set himself on fire in Cairo’s Tahrir Square to protest alleged corruption on Thursday, Reuters reported. A source at Cairo Security Directorate stated that the man is under guard at the hospital, and has informed officials that he works in Egypt’s Central Auditing Organization. Videos circulating on social media show the man setting himself on fire while walking along a street and then reaching the square, all the while complaining of alleged corruption. Another video, taken from a balcony overlooking the square, showed security guards and pedestrians rushing to extinguish the fire with water and clothing. In recent years, authorities have tightened security in Tahrir Square, which was the center of the mass demonstrations that toppled former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in 2011.

Source: Egypt Independent November 13, 2020 11:36 UTC