In the worst violence since February when 18 days of demonstrations lead to the ousting of President Hosni Mubarak, Egyptian military police clashed with protesters in the centre of Cairo yesterday, leaving 25 people dead and 272 wounded.
Tahrir Square became the epicentre of renewed violence when rioting spread from a nearby state television building. According to the Associated Press, Coptic Christians protesting against the demolition of a church in southern Egypt “came under assault by people in plain clothes and were later confronted by security forces.” Further into the evening, Christians and Muslims were killed by gunfire and armoured vehicles after 1,000 troops deployed by state authorities moved into the centre of the city.
Egypt’s official news agency, Mena, reported that dozens of “instigators of chaos” were arrested following the clash. A curfew over the city was lifted at 5am GMT Monday.
The video above shows Egyptian security forces entering the headquarters of all-Hurra TV news station during the violence. The broadcast was very shortly removed from the air.
UK foreign secretary William Hague has released a statement in which he withholds suggestion of an instigator for the violent outbreak:
I am deeply concerned by the unrest yesterday in Cairo and I condemn the loss of life. I urge all Egyptians to refrain from violence and support the Egyptian prime minister’s call for calm. It is essential that all sides take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation and engage in dialogue. The freedom of religious belief is a universal human right which needs to be protected everywhere, and the ability to worship in peace is a vital component of any free and democratic society.
Commentators on Twitter, meanwhile, have been laying blame for the deaths on the ruling military council, Supreme Council of the Armed Forces — see #SCAF
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