Scores injured after fresh clashes erupt in Egypt

[News_Editor]

Scores injured after fresh clashes erupt in Egypt

2011-07-24 04:08:56 GMT+7 (ICT)

CAIRO (BNO NEWS) -- Scores of people were injured on Saturday after clashes broke out between protesters and civilians during demonstrations in the Egyptian capital.

Ahram online reported that the clashes erupted in Cairo's Abbasiya area near the headquarters of the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) as protesters from Tahrir Square tried to reach the site to stage a demonstration. At least 145 people are reported injured, according to the Ministry of Health.

Egyptian security forces fired shots into the air in an attempt to disperse the crowd, while protesters and civilians threw stones at each other. The march was reportedly attacked from side streets and roof tops with people throwing empty bottles, glass, and even Molotov cocktails.

The army and the military police blocked the main entrances to the SCAF headquarters, while protesters were trapped between alleged thugs, Abbasiya residents and army barricades. Later, Central Security Forces and Military Police arrived from Tahrir, but couldn't stop the attack on protesters. The forces then fired tear gas on demonstrators.

On Saturday, thousands had marched peacefully from Tahrir Square, where a two-week long sit-in is ongoing, to the SCAF headquarters to demand reforms and the prosecution of those responsible for the killing of peaceful protesters.

Clashes were also reported on late Friday night in several of Egypt's governorates, including Cairo, Alexandria and Suez. The SCAF issued a statement blaming the 6 April Movement for the violence and denying that any violence had been used by the military against demonstrators.

6 April Movement spokesperson Mohamed Adel denied involvement in the march. He said that they are participating in the Tahrir Square sit-in, which began on July 8, along with many other political groups.

The 6 April Movement, the Union of Revolution Youth and other revolutionary groups have been organizing demonstrations to protest that the demands of the revolution have not been met. During the "Friday of Decision" protest, they showed their dissatisfaction with Prime Minister Essam Sharaf's newly reshuffled cabinet announced on Thursday.

The groups rejected the new law proposed by Sharaf and the ruling military council to regulate parliamentary elections, as well as the steps which both have taken to address the grievances of families of those killed during the January 2011 uprising. They are also reiterating their previous calls for the nullification of Sharaf's law which criminalizes certain demonstrations and strikes.

Sharaf reshuffled 14 posts in his interim Cabinet this week, hoping to quell protesters. They, however, were not satisfied with the reshuffle since some of the ministers who stayed are those they wanted out for alleged links to the Mubarak regime.

According to Amnesty International, at least 840 people were killed and over 6,000 people were injured in the violent repression that took place during the January uprising.

Ousted President Hosni Mubarak, who ruled Egypt in a 30-year-long regime, stepped down after the uprising. Mubarak will stand trial for corruption and murder charges on August 3, along his sons, Alaa and Gamal, and businessman Hussein Salem.

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