Israel Matzav

Riots in Egypt

There were riots in Cairo's Tahrir Square on Saturday as protesters fought with the Egyptian army.

Let's go to the videotape.



JPost adds:

Police fired blank shots and rubber bullets at protesters, witnesses said. Two police cars were set on fire in Tahrir square after witnesses said they had seen protesters climb into the vehicles. A third vehicle, close to the headquarters of the Arab League, was also on fire, a witness said.

"The people want to topple the regime!" hundreds of youths chanted as they rushed toward a line of helmeted police.

Riot police later fired tear gas to try to clear the area and they closed off streets leading to the square, witnesses said. They beat protesters with batons while demonstrators broke off cement from sidewalks to throw at the police.

"We are fighting them non-stop," shouted one protester.

The Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party said in a statement earlier it "denounced the breakup of the Tahrir sit-in by force".

"The break-up (of the sit-in) ... led to injuries, some serious, according to some media reports," the party said.

"(This is) reminiscent of the practices of the defunct regime's interior ministry."

The April 6th Youth Movement said in a statement it said opposed the use of force against peaceful protesters and demanded that the interior minister "leave immediately."

State news agency MENA cited a health ministry spokesman as saying that 507 people had been wounded in the clashes.

State television reported that "18 troublemakers had been arrested and legal procedures were being taken".

Friday's rally appeared to be the biggest Islamist challenge to military rule since the largely secular uprising that toppled Mubarak in February.

Protesters expressed their anger at a constitutional draft that Deputy Prime Minister Ali al-Silmi showed to political groups earlier this month which would give the army exclusive authority over its internal affairs and budget.

Elections are scheduled to take place in Egypt on November 28.

Israel Radio is now reporting that one person has been killed in Tahrir Square and 650 have been injured.

Labels: Cairo, Egyptian Revolution, Tahrir Square

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 12:15 AM