Violence engulfs peaceful march turns into full-blown and two-pronged attack on protesters by armed forces and plain-clothed assailants, leaving at least 17 dead and scores injured as the death toll continues to rise
ICC Note:
At least 17 Coptic protestors were killed in Cairo yesterday in violent attacks initiated by the Egyptian military while demonstrating against the destruction of a church in Upper Egypt earlier this month.
By Yasmine Fathi, Lina El-Wardani, Mostafa Ali, Nada El-Kouny
10/9/2011 Egypt (Al Ahram) – A march of 10,000 Copts began today from Shubra to the State TV building in Maspero turned violent when protesters were attacked by stone throwing mobs from on top of the surrounding walls while they were trying to cross the Shubra tunnel. A 15-minute battle ensued as the Coptic protesters fought back and hurled stones at their assailants.
Gun shots were fired in the sky, leaving terrified demonstrators wondering aloud if they were going to be shot.
During the attack panic ensued as women protesters were told to stand under the bridge for safety as Coptic youth tried to contain the march. After the battle stopped the march, once again regained its peaceful nature and continued towards Maspero.
On their way to Maspero they stopped in the neighboring Galaa Street and were attacked once again. A car sped through the crowd and randomely shot at protesters. The march continued once again to Maspero where the protesters were attacked again with increased vigour and violence.
An Ahram Online correspondent at Maspero reports seeing glass being thrown down at protesters from inside the State Broadcasting building in Maspero while armoured personnel carriers were driven by the army through the crowds, hitting and running protesters over. Eyewitness accounts posted on Twitter detail people being shot by the armed forces and attacked by plain-clothed thugs, with fire consuming vehicles by the Nile.
Ambulances ferried tens of injured protesters away from the scene.
Later in the evening, Hossam Bahgat, director of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, posted on Twitter that he saw 17 bodies in the morgue at the Coptic Hospital.
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The protesters were angry at the latest attack on the Coptic Church in the village of Merinab in Aswan when Muslim villagers attempted to block renovations underway at a Christian church in the majority Muslim village, charging that the building was a “guesthouse” that cannot be turned into a church. The protesters also demanded that the governor of Aswan be removed for justifying the attack on the church and saying that a permit was not issued. The protesters were also furious at the increasing attacks against Copts in recent months and the army’s lack of protection. They also demanded to know why the government of Essam Sharaf refused to introduce an anti-discrimination law as he promised last May, or finalise a draft for a unified building code for Muslims and Christians.
“You can call it whatever you like, anti-discrimination law, an anti-racism law,” fumed lawyer Nabil Ghabriel. “But the point it we want equality in this country.”
Another protester from Shubra, Lotfy Mikhael, insisted that the situation has continued to deteriorate since the revolution began.
“I feel that this is a cross Egypt’s Christians have to bear and we will never feel equal in this country,” Mikhael said. “All we want is to be treated the same as Muslims.”
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