CAIRO — Amid tight security measures to prevent the outbreak of protests, the Egyptian authorities continue the campaign to remove dozens of residential buildings in the historic Islamic district of Sayeda Aisha in the capital Cairo, which led to the displacement of hundreds of families despite their possession of proof that their houses are legally built.

Mohammed Omran, from the Sayeda Aisha area, woke up Jan. 16 to the sound of tractors demolishing dozens of houses surrounding the historic Sayeda Aisha Mosque on the grounds that these buildings were randomly built and had no official permits.

Omran, who works as a security guard in a private company and earns a salary of 3,600 Egyptian pounds (about $230) per month, told Al-Monitor, “They [destroyed] our houses and told us that they were illegal despite the fact that we have been living there for more than 50 years and benefit from services offered by the government itself, such as electricity and water.”

He said, “More than 500 families have been affected, and some cannot afford to pay rent in any other region due to the high prices [of housing]. We conveyed all these problems to the officials and expressed our rejection of such practices, but [no one heeded our demands]."