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Protesters, security forces clash in Cairo

Egyptian demonstrators clash with the Egyptian military in Tahrir Square, Cairo, April 13, 2011. UPI\Mohammed Hosam
Egyptian demonstrators clash with the Egyptian military in Tahrir Square, Cairo, April 13, 2011. UPI\Mohammed Hosam | License Photo

CAIRO, June 29 (UPI) -- Protesters and police clashed again Wednesday in Cairo's Tahrir Square as security personnel used tear gas on the crowds, observers said.

Ahram Online said some protesters were injured after being shot with rubber bullets, but there were allegations that live rounds were used against the crowd.

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The report said some of the gas canisters had "made in USA" stamps, which enraged the demonstrators. One man told Ahram Online the "government has imported more illegal weapons to use against the Egyptian people."

Tahrir, where the Jan. 25 Revolution began, was blocked by protesters, forcing cars to turn around and take detours.

The fighting in Tahrir Square, which started Tuesday and spilled into Wednesday, had began after authorities arrested people during an event honoring those killed in Egypt's uprising earlier this year, witnesses told al-Masry al-Youm.

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Witnesses said 15 people were arrested as the relatives protested at a theater. When the group started to march on the Interior Ministry near Tahrir Square, 20 other people were arrested. The square was ground zero for Egypt's 18-day uprising that toppled former President Hosni Mubarak.

Health Minister Hatem Ashraf Shehata said at least 75 civilians were hospitalized and an additional 500 were treated at the scene, The New York Times reported.

Wednesday afternoon, the army deployed around the Interior Ministry building and the street violence lessened.

Some protesters said they feared the response was a continuation of the Mubarak regime.

"It's the same thing happening again, nothing has changed," protester Mohamed Abdel Raouf told al-Masry al-Youm.

Prime Minister Essam Sharaf and other officials said the clashes between the families Tuesday night that disintegrated into a 2,000-person protest Wednesday were orchestrated to cause chaos, Ahram Online reported.

On its Facebook page, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces described the events as "destabilizing to the safety and security" of the nation, saying the confrontations were "organized and orchestrated," meant to "use the blood of the martyrs" to create friction between Egypt's security forces and the nation.

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Speaking on Egyptian state television Wednesday, Sharaf called the clashes in Tahrir Square a "test" for the youth of the revolution and said he was monitoring the situation with Interior Minister Mansour el-Eissawi, Ahram Online reported. He said an investigation into the events was being conducted and work had begun to address the demands of the families of those who died during the uprising.

"We are now setting up a governmental fund to offer services to the families of the martyrs and we also have several projects under way," Sharaf said. "There are also many doctors who are willing to treat the families of martyrs and we are studying that."

Eissawi said in a statement "a group of individuals" tried to crash the event at the theater. After they were denied entry, the people went to the state television building, where they were joined by protesters and headed to the Interior Ministry. When the security forces tried to stop them, the protesters went to Tahrir Square.

"The security forces are dealing with the situation according to the developments taking place and recording the injuries and damage to property and taking the necessary legal procedures," Eissawi said.

Protest groups urging an open sit-in in Tahrir Square are demanding the removal of several top officials, including Eissawi.

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