126 injured across Egypt in clashes

Source : Shanghai Daily

At least 126 were injured yesterday in clashes between security forces and anti- government protesters in different parts of Egypt as protesters took to main streets and public squares nationwide.

"A total of 126 people were injured nationwide. Some 67 were injured in Gharbiya governorate, 80 km north of Cairo, with seven others in Alexandria, seven in Kafr el-Sheikh governorate, four in Sharqiya governorate and four outside the presidential palace in Cairo," health ministry spokesman Ahmed Omar told Xinhua.

Omar added that the injuries varied between cuts, burns, suffocations and fractures, noting some presidential security men were reportedly injured by birdshots but it had not yet been confirmed.

At el-Mahalla city in Gharbiya, violent clashes took place between security men and protesters who tried to break down the gate of the city council. The security men dispersed them with tear gas bombs but skirmishes were still going on, which paralyzed traffic and forced stores to shut down in the area.

On the other hand, a number of protesters attempted to attack the headquarters of the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) and also the police directorate at Gharbiya governorate, around 80 km north of Cairo, but security forces managed to disperse them.

In Cairo, protesters attempted to remove barbed wires around the presidential palace in Cairo and climb the palace gate, while others hurled stones at the palace.

The presidential guards retreated and gathered inside the palace to avoid clashes with protesters, while protesters, mostly minors, attempted to hurl stones and fireworks inside the palace but fellow protesters prevented them to avoid clashes with security forces, Xinhua cameraman reported from the scene.

The situation escalated as some protesters set fire to one of the palace gates which led to burning a nearby tree inside the palace, according to official news agency MENA.

The demonstrations, dubbed "Friday of Dignity" or "Friday of Departure," condemned the recent police aggression against a protester who was beaten up and stripped before being dragged to a police vehicle.

(Xinhua)