Protesters beaten as Egyptian military police storm Tahrir Square; running battles ensue - Polidicks

[url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15809739[/url] [quote=BBC News][b]Egyptian military police in riot gear have stormed Tahrir Square in Cairo to try to seize control from protesters who had set up camp there.[/b] Demonstrators fled as officers fired tear gas and beat them with truncheons. At one point the police appeared to be in control but running battles are now being fought. The violent clashes between the security forces and protesters have lasted two days in Cairo and other cities. The demonstrators say they fear Egypt's military rulers are trying to retain their grip on power, in spite of elections due in just over a week. The second day of clashes began when stone-throwing protesters advanced from the square towards the interior ministry. Officers fired volleys of tear gas. The fighting has continued for much of the day with large numbers of police and protesters confronting each other in and around Tahrir Square. The violence in Cairo began early on Saturday when riot police tried to remove protesters who had spent the night in the square following protests on Friday. After clashes that lasted for much of the day and well into the following night, the police eventually pulled back into the surrounding streets, leaving thousands of protesters in control of the square. Two people were killed on Saturday in Cairo and Alexandria. For a while there was a makeshift camp in the square - exactly like the one that appeared during the protests in February that forced President Hosni Mubarak from power. A temporary field hospital was also set up to treat injured protesters. Tahrir Square - which is usually one of Cairo's busiest traffic thoroughfares - is closed to vehicles and most nearby businesses are shut. [b]Renewed violence[/b] Protesters - mostly Islamists and young activists - have been holding demonstrations against a draft constitution that they say would allow the military to retain too much power after a new civilian government is elected. They have repeatedly tried to gain a foothold in Tahrir Square again, but up to now they have always been removed quickly by the police. "The violence yesterday showed us that Mubarak is still in power," one protester, Ahmed Hani, told the AP news agency. He said the leader of Egypt's military government, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, should resign. "We have a single demand: The marshal must step down and be replaced by a civilian council," he said. Saturday's violence was some of the worst in months between Egyptian police and demonstrators. Health officials say as many as 900 people were injured, including at least 40 security personnel. The demonstrators in Cairo set a government building and a police vehicle on fire and threw stones and petrol bombs at riot police. The number of protesters grew during the day, reportedly after a call went out on social media for people to join the demonstration following the police assault. [b]Government warning[/b] Prime Minister Essam Sharaf called on the protesters to clear the square. "What is happening in Tahrir is very dangerous and threatens the course of the nation and the revolution," a statement from the cabinet said. One of the demonstrators, Ali Abdel Aziz, said security forces beat up protesters to break up the sit-in on Saturday. "They beat us harshly, they didn't care for either men or women," the 32-year-old accountancy professor told the AFP news agency. Parliamentary elections are due to begin on 28 November and take three months. Earlier in November, Egypt's military rulers produced a draft document setting out principles for a new constitution. Under those guidelines, the military would be exempted from civilian oversight, as would its budget. This has angered protesters who fear the gains they have made during the uprising could yet slip away as the military tries to retain some grip on power.[/quote]

Surprise! They just switched one dictator for another.

What is to be gained from revolution? Nothing.

Here we go again!

[QUOTE=Sobotnik;33356774]What is to be gained from revolution? Nothing.[/QUOTE] Completely missing the point.

Didn't see this coming :rolleyes:

history is repeating itself a bit too quickly now

I was extremely hopeful for the Egyptian revolution but I guess it's probably going to end in something other than respectable freedom for the egyptian people :( [editline]20th November 2011[/editline] Protesters protesting the potential for too much power of the military. Protesters removed by said military. I wonder who's right?

Who cares if people get killed in Egypt, if Syria fires artillery at critical thinkers, Lybian racists killing black people. Human nature is filled with hate, if we are lucky it will turn for the better.

They're putting down islamist protesters.

[QUOTE=TheDestroyerOfall;33366587]They're putting down islamist protesters.[/QUOTE] Oh, woops, false alarm folks. It's okay, they're the muslim ones, not the democratic ones. For a second I was worried there, sheesh.