Cairo protests turn violent

Egypt’s ruling military announced an overnight curfew around the defence ministry yesterday after fierce clashes between troops and anti-military protesters left 59 hurt ahead of landmark presidential polls.

“A curfew has been imposed in the Abbassiya square, around the defence ministry and the surrounding streets,” said General Mukhtar al-Mulla, a member of the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), in a television address.

Earlier troops had fired into the air to disperse demonstrators.

Military police charged the protesters, chasing them down side streets near the ministry on foot and in military vehicles, firing birdshot and assault rifles into the air amid chaotic scenes, one reporter said.

Health ministry official Ahmed Al-Ansary said: “During the clashes in Abbassiya, 59 people were injured... of those five are being treated in hospital.”

A military source said the army had chased down protesters “with the help of Abbassiya residents and police forces”, arresting 40 people he called “thugs”.

Clashes began when some protesters threw rocks at the military police, prompting troops to respond with water cannon and later tear gas.

The Al-Jazeera Misr satellite station reported that soldiers arrested a television crew from the January 25 channel, which is affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood.

Several thousand secular and Islamist protesters had gathered in Abbassiya, some marching from Cairo’s Tahrir Square, to denounce the ruling military council that took power when Hosni Mubarak was ousted in last year’s popular uprising.

The protest comes just three weeks before Egypt’s first post-revolt presidential election, after which the ruling military is to hand power to civilian rule.

But activists fear it will be rigged in favour of a pro-military candidate. Mohammed Badawi of Ismailiya, a member of the Coalition of Revolution Youth, said: “We are here to end SCAF rule. We don’t trust them. SCAF are following Mubarak’s example and we want to protect the revolution.”

On Thursday, the SCAF vowed the election will be fair and assured the public it will hand over power on schedule. Voting is scheduled for May 23-24 with a run-off for June 16-17 if there is no outright winner.