More Than 30 People Killed in Cairo Protests This Weekend
Reports say as many as 22 people have been killed (UPDATE: Reuters now says the number is 33) and more the 1,500 injured in violent clashes between police as government protests reignited in Cairo's Tahrir Square over the weekend. Riot police used tear gas and rubber bullets on crowds and some disturbing video (seen below) shows cops beating protestors with sticks, some of them after already being knocked unconscious. The protests echoed the uprising back in January of this year that led to the resignation of president Hosni Mubarak.
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The latest clashes began on Friday with a demonstration against the current military rulers, who appear to be delaying elections that would create a new Egyptian government. The country to scheduled to hold it's first free parliamentary election next Monday, but the army would remain in control until a presidential election which may not happen for another year.
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The initial demonstration was mostly peaceful, but a few hundred stragglers remained behind in the Tahrir Square. Police attempted to clear the square on Saturday morning, and when things turned violent, many of the protesters returned to defend their fellow citizens. Many tore up rocks and stones and threw them at the police, who responded with truncheons and rubber bullets. Doctors say many of the injuries include bullet wounds, head injuries, and tear gas inhalation.
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Things have quieted down some what on Mondary, but according to Al-Jazeera, "There are sporadic clashes happening around the outskirts of the square." Many protestors are changing for Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, head of the ruling Supreme Council of Armed Forces to step down.
