Families of detainees protest in Egypt

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CAIRO, Sept. 22 (UPI) -- Families of Egyptians detained while protesting at the U.S. Embassy gathered outside the presidential palace Saturday and demanded the detainees be released.

Those being held were arrested at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo last week during protests of an anti-Islam film produced in the United States, the Egypt Independent reported.

Protesters Saturday carried signs that said "Amnesty for our children detained in the U.S. Embassy events," "Our children are not thugs or thieves," "Our children are students in secondary school" and "Mercy over justice."

Hoda Ibrahim said her son, Ahmed Khalid, was not even attending the protest when he was arrested.

"My son is 17 years old, and a student in high school. He went out with his friends to celebrate his birthday, and did not know that there was a demonstration at the embassy, and did not get involved [in it].​​ The police arrested them while they were watching the demonstration from Qasr al-Nil Bridge," Ibrahim said.