Violence returns to Tahrir square with anti-military protests in Egypt

Cairo, Egypt (PANA) - An unconfirmed number of people were killed and hundreds injured Saturday during ongoing protests against the interim ruling military council in Egypt.

According to the Egyptian Health Ministry, a protester was killed and about 750 injured in clashes between protesters and the police, who tried in vain to evacuate Cairo's iconic Tahrir square, the centre of Saturday's bloody events.

Thousands of protesters camped through the night in Tahrir, conducting the first such sit-in in nearly four months in the north African country.

In Alexandria, Egypt's second largest city, a man died and dozens were injured in a protesters' siege of the security headquarters of the Mediterranean city that was later dispersed by police.

And in the Canal city of Suez, protesters stormed the Arbaaeen municipality building and set it ablaze, resulting in human casualties and material damages.

Egypt's state television said the police had displayed utmost self-restraint in dealing with the protesters, while carrying a message from Egyptian Premier Essam Sharaf, calling on protesters to evacuate Tahrir square and put the interest of the nation and revolution as top priority in the sensitive period the country is going through.

The escalation of violence on Saturday came on the heels of the biggest anti-military council demonstration since the 25 January revolution in Egypt on Friday, where thousands of protesters, led by Islamists, showed up to denounce government's proposed supra-constitutional proposals, which are still being negotiated between the military council backed-government and the various political groupings and revolutionary powers.

Friday's peaceful protesters also asked for a shorter and more defined timetable to be put forward by the country's interim rulers for transfer of power to a civilian administration and a democratically-elected president which, according to the military council, will be held late in 2012.

The events came less than two weeks before the 28 Nov. commencement of the first legislative elections in Egypt, since the January revolution that toppled long-time ruler Hosni Mubarak.
-0- PANA MI/BOS 20Nov2011