Egyptian counterrevolutionary forces supporting the neo-colonial state have entered the capital to attack the people who are demanding the overthrow of the Mubarak regime. The army had earlier ordered people off the streets and to return to their homes.
Originally uploaded by Pan-African News Wire File Photos
More than 100 injured as pro-Mubarak supporters attack protesters seeking president's ouster in Egyptian capital
Last Modified: 02 Feb 2011 13:24 GMT
Clashes broke out between pro-and anti-government protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square
Clashes have broken out between pro- and anti-government demonstrators in the Egyptian capital Cairo.
Protesters from both sides threw stones at each other in Tahrir Square, the epicentre of ongoing opposition demonstrations against President Hosni Mubarak.
Al Jazeera correspondents, reporting from the scene, said that more than a 100 people were injured in the clashes and in a stampede that started when trouble broke out.
Earlier, witnesses said thousands of pro-Mubarak supporters had entered the square. Opposition groups said Mubarak had sent in thugs to suppress the protest.
Also in Cairo, Al Jazeera's Jane Dutton, said that "hundreds of anti-government supporters were running from the square, including many women and children".
Another Al Jazeera correspondent said men on horseback and camels ran into the crowds, as army personnel stood by. The correspondent added that more horses and camels are arriving into the square.
Al Jazeera's online producer in Cairo said rocks were continously being thrown from both sides.
He also said that tens of thousands of people from Mubarak's supporters are coming up to Tahrir square.
"The army had barricades to block them off but they got through them and the army let them through.
"The people on horses are pro-Mubarak supporters, they are a very angry crowd looking for anyone working for Al Jazeera and for Americans. They are trying to get on the other side of the army tanks to get to the anti-Mubarak supporters. More and more pro-Mubarak supporters are coming in and for now the army is acting as a buffer."
Violence
Jane Dutton also said that security guards have also been seen amongst the pro-Mubarak supporters, and it may be a precursor to the feared riot police arriving on the scene.
Dutton added that a journalist with the Al-Arabiya channel was stabbed during the clashes.
Fighting took place around army tanks deployed around the square, with stones bouncing off the armoured vehicles. Soldiers did not intervene.
Several groups were involved in fist fights, and some were using clubs. The opposition also said many among the pro-Mubarak crowd were policemen in plainclothes.
"Members of security forces dressed in plain clothes and a number of thugs have stormed Tahrir Square," three opposition groups said in a statement.
Source: Al Jazeera and agencies
Egypt army wants protests ended
Military urges protesters to pack their bags and go back to 'normal life' as anti-government rallies enter ninth day
Last Modified: 02 Feb 2011 11:05 GMT
The army has not intervened in the protests and only guards the sites and buildings that are of national interest
The Egyptian army has called for protesters rallying for a ninth day against President Hosni Mubarak's regime to go home and "return to normal life."
In a call for protesters to leave the streets, Ismail Etman, a military spokesman said on state television on Wednesday: "The army forces are calling on you ... You began by going out to express your demands and you are the ones capable of restoring normal life.
"I call on the conscious youth of Egypt, honest men of Egypt, we should look forward to future, think of our country, Egypt. Your message has been heard, demands understood, and we are working day and night to secure our homeland for your interest, the honourable people of Egypt."
Unlike the police, which is widely reviled in Egypt for its repressive tactics, the military is widely admired and is seen as neutral.
Internet back up
Internet service, which has been cut off entirely, has apparently been partially restored in Egypt.
Mubarak's embattled regime and the powerful military appear to be making a unified push to end a street movement to drive the 82-year-old leader out of power.
The movement built on the work of online activists is fuelled by deep frustration with an autocratic regime blamed for ignoring the needs of the poor and allowing corruption and official abuse to run rampant.
After years of tight state control, protesters emboldened by the Tunisia unrest took to the streets on January 25 and carried out a once unimaginable series of protests across this nation of 80 million.
The army gave a tacit endorsement to the movement on Monday by saying it would not use force against protesters and that they had legitimate demands.
Al Jazeera's Jane Dutton reported from Cairo that, "It is the first time that we have heard the army issue that warning.
"It could be linked to the fact that we are seeing an increasing number of pro-Mubarak supporters on the streets."
On Tuesday, the protesters brought nearly a million people into Cairo's main square to demand Mubarak leave within days.
Late on Tuesday, Mubarak issued a defiant response in an address to the nation, announcing that he would serve out the last months of his term and "die on Egyptian soil".
He promised not to seek re-election, but that did not calm public fury as clashes erupted between his opponents and supporters.
Source: Al Jazeera and Agencies
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