Workers battle police amid rising prices in Egypt

A call for a nationwide strike yesterday was the first major attempt by opposition groups to turn the past year's labor unrest into a wider political protest against the government of President Hosni Mubarak.

The strike and riots up north came only two days before key elections for local councils, causing jitters in the government, which last week lifted import duties on some food items in an effort to soften economic discontent.

The US-backed government also strongly warned citizens against participating in the strikes and demonstrations. Such actions are illegal in Egypt under the country's emergency law and protesters are often detained by Egyptian security forces.

Nearly 40 percent of Egypt's 76 million people live below or near the poverty line of $2 a day. The prices of staples such as cooking oil and rice have nearly doubled in recent months amid widespread shortages of government- subsidized bread.

Many Egyptians in Cairo responded to the calls for nationwide action by skipping work or school. Many shops were closed in the capital, and traffic was significantly lighter than usual in the normally car-clogged streets.

In an effort to thwart mass protests downtown, the government sent hordes of riot police to many of Cairo's main squares to intimidate people from showing up.

But there were smaller protests. Hundreds of students gathered at two universities, chanting antigovernment slogans, and activists outside Egypt's Bar Association waved banners demanding economic reform.

"The strike is legitimate against poverty and starvation," chanted the protesters, who were surrounded by riot police. Protesters on a roof later showered security forces with glass bottles and bits of wood.

An Egyptian security official said 2,000 protesters damaged property in Mahalla, forcing police to disperse them with tear gas. About 50 people were wounded.