Sunday, February 13, 2011

Egypt: Tahrir Square

Army & military police forcefully disperse Tahrir Sq. Protest

The massive revolutionary celebrations in Tahrir Square over the past two days began to fizzle out by Saturday night. By Sunday morning only around 5,000 protesters remained encamped within the square - demanding democratic reforms, and specific timetables for these reforms.


Dozens of military police forces were deployed in Tahrir Square, by Qasr al-Aini Street, at around 7am on Sunday (Feb. 13.) The vast majority of protesters had left Tahrir Square by Saturday night.


Around 8am - hundreds of military troops armed with machine-guns moved in to clear open the streets around Tahrir Square.


By 9am these armed forces moved into the protesters' campsites and tore down tents using knives and bayonets.


Protesters who resisted were beaten, detained or arrested. Journalists, and especially photographers, were harassed. A Japanese photo-journalist was injured in his head as he refused to hand over his camera.


The army is not a democratic institution; thus democracy is never expected to emanate from the armed forces, but from civil society.


Armed forces tore down the tents and banners of peaceful protesters in Tahrir Square. Dozens of detentions and arrests were reported.

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