Cairo, Young Democrats and Muslim Brotherhood clash. Hundreds of wounded
Cairo (AsiaNews /
Agencies) - Violent clashes with hundreds of casualties yesterday in Tahrir
Square during a double protest by leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood and
militant democratic movements. The
first was a protest against the courts verdict which acquitted 24 officials of
the former regime of Mubarak believed to be responsible for the "Battle of
the Camel" during the Jasmine Revolution. The
Young Democrats instead took to the streets to challenge the first 100 days of
President Mohammed Morsi and the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood accused of
monopolizing the institutions of the Constituent Assembly and the courts,
upholding justice only for their affiliates. The
violence broke out when a group of Morsi supporters attacked and burned the
stage set up by young liberals and progressives. In
a short time the entire area surrounding the square was turned into a
battlefield with stone throwing on either side, cars set on fire and
barricades.
According
to members of the democratic April 6 movement, born during the Jasmine
Revolution, the Muslim Brotherhood did not have permission to demonstrate. "Our
sit-in - said one of the young people - was authorized by the police several
months ago. The verdict of 'battle of the camels' dates to 11 October." According
to witnesses, members of the Brotherhood have occupied the square with their
coach trying to disrupt the demonstration against the Constituent Assembly. The
assault on the stage which was starting the rally sparked the anger of young
people who took it out on vehicles parked on the sides of the square. The
police clashes believe the clashes were caused by groups of thugs hidden among
protesters.
"Everyone
always blames these thugs - said one of the protesters - but who are they? We
reacted when the Muslim Brotherhood began throwing stones and Molotov cocktails
at us for no reason, some even had guns with lead pellets, which have hurt some
guys the legs.
Ours was an exasperated reaction. "
Ali
Abdel-Menoim, another young man, said: "I am against those who burn buses,
but also against the Muslim Brotherhood, which came to a peaceful protest with
stones, sticks and guns." Ali
says that he traveled overnight from Upper Egypt to participate in the
demonstration against the Constituent Assembly. "I
have traveled thousands of miles to make my voice heard - he says - I do not
want the constitution to be monopolized by a group of extremists." In
the early hours of this morning, the square was still occupied by the
protesters, who after the flight of the Muslim Brotherhood began to chant anti-Morsi
slogans, comparing him to former President Mubarak.
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