Cairo, Oct 20 (IANS): At least 55 students were arrested Sunday after they clashed with Egyptian security forces during an anti-military protest at Al-Azhar University here, media reported.

The clashes took place when the students tried to move their protest out of campus. The security forces fired tear gas to disperse the protesters, who were seen throwing rocks at the forces, Al Jazeera reported citing an interior ministry statement.

The protest was held after the Anti-Coup Alliance called for a national uprising against the military-backed leadership that took power after president Mohamed Morsi was ousted July 3.

Protesters were also demanding the release of political detainees.

Similar demonstrations were held at Cairo University and in Abu Hamad district of El-Sharqiyah province.

Al-Azhar is in the same Cairo suburb as the Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque, the scene of a former pro-Morsi sit-in where hundreds of protesters were killed as security forces broke up the sit-in.