Egypt: Part of courthouse burnt in clashes in Alexandria

CAIRO (AP) — A courthouse went up in flames in Egypt's northern Mediterranean city of Alexandria during clashes between protesters and riot police Sunday, according to witnesses.

The blaze destroyed part of the building, burning some files. A security official said unidentified assailants were responsible.

This was the second straight day of clashes there ahead of the two-year anniversary of Egypt's uprising that toppled longtime ruler Hosni Mubarak.

Young men threw rocks at police, who responded with tear gas, outside the courthouse where six senior police officers were on trial for deaths of protesters during the nation's 2011 uprising.

Two years after the revolt was first sparked, families of the deceased remain frustrated over the pace of reform. Rights groups have criticized what they say remains a culture of police impunity.

Two trucks that transport riot police was set ablaze outside the courthouse, which is near the Italian consulate, after Judge Mohammed Hammad Abdel-Hadi resigned from the case on Sunday. He did not say why he quit.

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