CAIRO (AP) — An Egyptian criminal court has invoked a presidential amnesty and dismissed charges against 379 people accused of taking part in deadly clashes with the police, a judge said Saturday.

The charges stem from nearly two weeks of street fighting in downtown Cairo in November 2011 that left 42 people dead.

Young protesters, mostly die-hard soccer fans known as Ultras, led demonstrations against the police near the Interior Ministry and Tahrir Square. They were demanding a timetable for the military officers who were then ruling the country to hand over power and hold presidential elections, and denouncing security crackdowns on sit-ins.

The judge, Gamal Eddin Rushdi, said that his decision was based on the pardon issued late last year by President Mohamed Morsi.