Unknown attackers kill 11 at Cairo protest

[hellheaven1987]

Unknown assailants have killed at least 11 people protesting against Egypt's ruling generals near the defence ministry in Cairo, officials say.

The attackers set on them at dawn using rocks, clubs, firebombs and firing shotguns. The protesters retaliated, beating some of the assailants.

Soldiers and police have now stopped the clashes, but the intervention came nearly six hours after they began.

Two leading presidential candidates have suspended campaigning in protest.

Abdul Moneim Aboul Fotouh, an independent Islamist, and Mohammed Mursi, head of the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), criticised the authorities' response.

In addition, the FJP and the Salafist Nour party, which together control 70% of the seats in parliament, decided to boycott a meeting with the ruling Supreme Council of Armed Forces (Scaf).

Source

The interesting part is Egyptian military purposely postpones the intervention.

Some reports said the unidentified attackers were local people, angry at the disruption caused by the sit-in, which began on Saturday.

But many Egyptians will suspect that, at the very least, the government turned a blind eye, reports the BBC's Jon Leyne in Cairo.

The use of plain-clothes thugs is a well-worn tactic by the authorities, he adds.

Soldiers and police deployed in the area initially did not intervene to stop the clashes, nor did they when one person was killed in a similar attack early on Sunday.

Adding the coming chaos of election, hopefully things would not turn into a major disaster after the election.

[fkizz]

Egypt military will probably hijack the democracy process. Mubarak was probably just a figurehead.

[hellheaven1987]

Egypt military will probably hijack the democracy process. Mubarak was probably just a figurehead.

Mubarak was a figure head for sure, which comes the question how the heck he could order the attacking of protestors without informing his boss the Egyptian military first.

[Menelik_I]

Mubarak was a figure head for sure, which comes the question how the heck he could order the attacking of protestors without informing his boss the Egyptian military first.

They are probably playing Good Cop/Bad Cop to confuse everyone one, and still have deniability. Egypt is one of those case without a good option because all potential winners equally suck in their own way.

[hellheaven1987]

They are probably playing Good Cop/Bad Cop to confuse everyone one, and still have deniability. Egypt is one of those case without a good option because all potential winners equally suck in their own way.

We all know what Egypt needs is another Nasser now.

[Menelik_I]

We all know what Egypt needs is another Nasser now.

Why another Nasser if Mother Russia can make a Nasser clone ! The Stalin clone is fully functional, at the exception of the face and so we had to name him Vladimir Putin ... we promise not to screw up next time
How ?

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[Prosaic Visitant]

This would never have happened under Hosni.

[hellheaven1987]

This would never have happened under Hosni.

Indeed, Egyptian military would be the attacker under Mubarak instead some thugs!!!

[motiv-8]

Unless the thugs were military. This was a bizarre and shocking event for Egyptians. Also, the death toll has been revised upwards. Last I checked a couple hours ago it was 21.

[Macunaíma]

It is at least a bit expected that the military tries to get things under their rule during this period of chaos. Let's see how this election thing comes out.

[Exarch]

i saw something similar happen in the bahrain protests, where government troops disguised as protestors attacked other protestors

[hellheaven1987]

Update: Fresh clashes outside Egyptian defence ministry

Clashes between protesters and security forces have been taking place near Egypt's defence ministry in Cairo.

The protesters ignored a warning not to approach the ministry building and threw rocks. Police responded with water cannons and tear gas.

Calls to join the demonstration have also been broadcast in Tahrir Square.

On Wednesday, unidentified assailants attacked people protesting against the ruling military council outside the ministry, leaving at least 20 dead.

The unrest comes just three weeks before presidential elections are due to be held - the first since Hosni Mubarak was forced to step down.

Source

Such a peaceful Arab Spring.

[Modestus]

Update: Fresh clashes outside Egyptian defence ministry



Source

Such a peaceful Arab Spring.

Did you want it to be peaceful?

You sometimes give the impression that you are ed that there is violence during a revolution, you should get out more.

[hellheaven1987]

Did you want it to be peaceful?

Why not? A stable Egypt means a better chance to fight against Israel.

[motiv-8]

We all know there was no violence in the 1848 revolutions, or the Prague Spring, or any other struggles for rights and freedom in Europe, so what's the Arabs' problem, ehh?

[s.rwitt]

Because an Egyptian-Israeli War is exactly what the region, and world in general, needs right now.

[Macunaíma]

Peaceful ways are preferable, but the important thing is that the revolution happened.

[hellheaven1987]

Because an Egyptian-Israeli War is exactly what the region, and world in general, needs right now.

Like NATO needs to stay in Afghanistan?

[motiv-8]

Peaceful means only work insofar as the powers that be let them. Even Ghandhi recognized this limitation. The Arab Spring has shown ably that peaceful protests can only do so much when met with bullets and flame.

[s.rwitt]

Funny you say that considering the fact I think we should have left by now. And I've made that quite clear many times.