Man sets himself on fire near Egyptian parliament

Man sets himself on fire near Egyptian parliament

2011-01-17 16:33:35 GMT+7 (ICT)

CAIRO (BNO NEWS) -- An apparent protester set himself on fire near the Egyptian parliament in Cairo on Monday, police and local media said.

The Al-Ahram newspaper said 49-year-old Abdo Abdel Hameed, a restaurant owner, had poured a container of petrol on himself before lightning a match to his clothes, engulfing him in flames. It was not immediately clear if he did it in protest or in a failed suicide attempt.

After Abdel put himself on fire, witnesses attempted to contain the flames before a cab driver used a fire extinguisher to put out the fire. Abdel was transported to a serious hospital, where he is said to be in a stable condition.

The act appeared to be similar to a protest earlier this month in Tunisia, leading to last week's rebellion that led to Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali's resignation. There, Mohsen Bouterfif set himself on fire after a meeting with the mayor of Boukhadra in Tebessa who was unable to offer Bouterfif a job and a house.

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