Egypt (and Beyond) LiveBlog: The Newest Battle of Tahrir Square

A member of the security forces drags a body to a curbside in Tahrir Square, near the bodies of other unconscious or dead men

See also Bahrain, Syria (and Beyond) LiveBlog: "The Government Wants the People To Become More Violent"

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2134 GMT: The voice of the opposition that is not going away in Tahrir Square:

The President has stepped down, key advisors have stepped down, and the cabinet has offered its resignation, but the people of Egypt have yet to feel the reform that the process has promised. With elections only a week away, the people in the streets are giving a clear mandate: they want the resignation of SCAF, free and fair elections, and the freedom of expression and representation that the military is fighting against until the last minutes of this transitional government.

We close our liveblog with this video:

"Cairo-based analyst Issandr Amrani posted this video of a mass of protesters on Mohamed Mahmoud Street, near Tahrir Square, the site of the some of the past three days' worst fighting"

The people want the fall of the Field Marshall from arabist on Vimeo.

2010 GMT: Al Jazeera posts two pictures. The first, a screen shot of Tahrir Square. The scene appears to be almost jubilant, as protesters sing and chant in unison. The only sign of trouble? By the minute, injured protesters are being evacuated into the square from the side streets:

The second photo is from Al Jazeera Mubasher, which shows protesters retaking Mohamed Mahmoud from the police who have shot at, tear gassed, and beaten protesters over the last 48 hours:

2004 GMT: Al Jazeera posts this video report on the force that the Egyptian police have used against the protesters, including a scene where a member of the police force is praised by his peers for shooting a protester in the eye:

1955 GMT: It may look peaceful on the TV, but activists and journalists are reporting that a lot of blood is being spilled in the side-streets, away from Tahrir Square. Jon Jensen reports:

"Police firing heavily at crowd on Mohamed Mahmoud. Can hear the shotguns pellets ricocheting off buildings and barricades."

"Police advancing in direction of Tahrir. Extremely heavy gunfire now."

1935 GMT: A half-hour of confusion over the state of the Egyptian Government --- most international media, including Al Jazeera English, followed an Egyptian newspaper's report that the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces had accepted the resignation of the Cabinet, only for the news to be withdrawn.

The military rulers are now reportedly seeking to appoint a new Prime Minister before approving the Cabinet's dissolution.

1915 GMT: Al Jazeera English's Rawya Rageh reports that Alexandria police have released all 44 protesters who were arrested this weekend.

1905 GMT: While the crowd is less riled than they have been in recent days, and the Egyptian military is reportedly pulling the police back from Tahrir Square. However, Al Jazeera is reporting that the crowd is extremely loud. The chant?

"The people want the resignation of the Field Marshal (Hussein Tantawi, the head of SCAF)."

With crowds larger than they have been since the resignation of President Mubarak, it is hard to ignore the similarities between the two events.

1845 GMT: The Egyptian cabinet has indeed submitted its resignation to SCAF according to Egyptian state TV, confirmed by Al Jazeera English, including Prime Minister Essam Sharaf. The resignation is being touted as a direct reaction to the protests in Tahrir Square and in other parts of Egypt. 

The move followed the resignation of Egypt's Culture Minister Emad Abu Ghazi, who told the Al Ahram website he "will not retract his resignation" and criticized the cabinet's response to three days of clashes between protesters and security forces. There are no reports of whether SCAF has accepted these resignations. 

1840 GMT: The hot rumor on the street is that the Egyptian cabinet has offered their resignation. Foreign Policy's Blake Hounshell has this response:

"The cowardly and toothless Egyptian cabinet has offered to resign: last time this happened they stayed in their posts."

1831 GMT: According to the Egyptian state-run MENA News, 63 flights in and out of Cairo have been cancelled due to the unrest in recent days.

James Miller takes the blog while Josh Shahryar takes a well-earned nap.

1650 GMT: Sultan Al Qassemi tweets: 

Amr Hamzawy, George Ishaq & Mahmoud Salem (@sandmonkey) among many who announced the suspension of their electoral campaigns in #Egypt - DNE

1630 GMT: Here's part of the state released by Muslim Brotherhood. We are only including the demands MB has made. The statement claims it is in response to the brutal violence against protesters on Saturday. [h/t Evan Hill]. 

The Muslim Brotherhood calls on the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, as the force responsible for everything that happened:

* Stop the killing and aggression against the demonstrators in all squares immediately and without delay and withdraw its soldiers and vehicles from the squares

* Assign every one who has ordered or carried out such killings and aggression to immediate investigation

* Release a timetable for handing power to an elected civil authority not later than mid-2012

* Be committed to sacking the current government that is responsible for the bloody events immediately after the parliamentary elections

* Respect the people's constitutional rights of freedom of expression and peaceful demonstrations and sit-ins

* Stop silence and conduct a dialogue with the political powers on how to get the country out of this dark tunnel

* Issue laws for cleansing the political field of the corrupts

The Muslim Brotherhood also asks the national and political powers to meet and gather so as to be able to rescue Egypt.

1610 GMT: The women's role in Tahrir is again not going without notice. Women are present among the ranks of protesters and are being surrounded and protected by men. They're also busy in the center of the square, helping injured protesters. Some are also using water and vinegar to help relieve the pain of protesters that have had to endure tear gas volleys. 

This is while Tahrir is starting to look more and more like the Tahrir of February. Thousands have amassed in the square unopposed. At least 2,000 more have gathered in Alexandria and some activists are openly calling on protesters to stay put and set up camp again. 

1555 GMT: This video is being circulated as the moment of Muslim Brotherhood member el-Betlagy's expulsion from Tahrir Square. We cannot verify its authenticity: 

1550 GMT: We earlier tweeted that reform leader Ayman Nour reportedly visited Tahrir Square. Al Jazeera actually has images of him visiting the square. Here's one. 

1550 GMT: Shadi Hamid, at the Muslim Brotherhood party HQ, reports that the Brotherhood may be turning away from SCAF ever so slightly. He tweets: 

MB spokesman is saying military promised 6 month transition but now could be longer than 2 yrs. Being very critical of SCAF 

...There's no official MB position to suspend campaign, but only to cancel most campaign events tonite

Presenter asks MB spokesman if Brotherhood supports Islamic or civil state, says "nature of Islamic state is that its a civil state" 

 However, other sources indicate that this might only be for Central Cairo. No official announcement has been made yet. 

1530 GMT: Disturbing news has emerged as Sonia Verma of Canada's Globe and Mail tweets: 

Interviewing Egyptian Presidential candidate Bothaina Kamal on the phone. Soldiers sexually assaulted her when they arrested her. 

Will blog the interview later @globeandmail but v. disturbing. Bothaina's 21-year-old daughter was severely beaten as well. #Egypt.

1525 GMT: Here's a new image of Tahrir Square from Al Arabiya. It only shows a portion of the crowd, which is much larger and spread on all sides: 

1520 GMT: Twitter is abuzz with reports from Tahrir, many of which cannot be confirmed. Two main reports claim that Egyptian state TV crew as well as Muslim Brotherhood member Mohamed el-Betlagy were kicked out of Tahrir Square by protesters. El-Betlagy had earlier stated that the youth were possibly angry at The Brotherhood for not supporting them. 

1510 GMT: Remember a time when Twitter was being used by Egyptians for protests... but not quite? Well, those day may be over. The latest sign is an account under TahrirSupplies. Some tweets include: 

When it feels that medical supplies are enough - BRING BLANKETS / FOOD / JUICES to the square.

We need unlimited tweets as we are supplying a /warzone/ with medical supplies and telling people how to reach them.

Check our TIMELINE for WHAT IS NEEDED - to ask questions (or for pickups and dropoffs) to the community use hashtag 

Similar accounts are spreading information as well as the needs of protesters to a wider Egyptian audience which is responding to those tweets pretty quickly. @TahrirSupplies already has over 2,000+ followers, even though they have only tweeted 291 times! 

1500 GMT: Number of protesters in Tahrir is now in thousands, glimpses of February almost when Mubarak was toppled. As night sets in, clashes continue around Falaky Midan and Mohamed Mahmoud. Inside the square, protesters are loud, but police are largely absent. 

1445 GMT: Youth activists in Egypt are calling for a million man march tomorrow across Egypt. It is as yet unclear who spread the call, but online, many activists are spreading the word to protesters across the country. Will update on this soon.

How brutal have the police been? Elazul has a good collection of videos and pictures all in one here.  

1425 GMT: Amiralx tweets: 

Egypt's main index EGX30 dropped 4%, falling below 4,000 points, a 46% drop since last year #tahrir

Here's a photo of protesters from Mohamed Mahmoud, kindly uploaded by Lilian Wagdy: 

1415 GMT: Jon Jensen in Cairo tweets: 

There are thousands of Egyptians on Mohamed Mahmoud now. And around 100 of the most hardcore shabab are leading the charge at the front.

1330 GMT: Tahrir Square is now hosting thousands of protesters, up from hundreds just an hour ago. At the same time, the number of protesters from clashes with police outside the square is also steadily rising. There is no confirmation so far of exact numbers, but up to a dozen at least have been injured in tear gas fire and baton charges. Many are brought into the make-shift field clinic inside Tahrir Square. At this point, there are no clashes inside the square nor is tear gas being fired. 

1315 GMT: So exactly how bad is the tear gas being used against protesters in Cairo? Well, Bikya Masr has a lengthy article about it: 

According to BM, which received some empty canisters, the gas being use is actually expired. Further more, it causes, "severe pulmonary damage, as well as causing damage to the heart and liver. It is also reported to increase the risk of miscarriages, according to international studies of the substance, known as CR gas."

BM further adds:

According to the United States Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine, CR emits “very toxic fumes” when heated to decomposition, and at specified concentrations CR gas is an immediate danger to life and health. The report also stated that those exposed to CR gas should “seek medical attention immediately.”

In large doses, human tissues have also revealed that cyanide levels in the body are discovered. It can also “melt” one’s skin if sweat on the body comes into contact with the substance.

The Paris Convention on Chemical Warfare of 1993 lists CR gas as a 'restricted substance'. Combined Tactical Systems in Jamestown, Pennsylvania is the producer. Full report is here and is a must read. We at EA cannot independently verify any of the claims, though.

1250 GMT: As the number of protesters inside Tahrir increase and clashes continue in Mohamed Mahmoud Street close to it, news just arrived that SCAF has approved the new treasury law, which bans people who have been implicated in corruption and bans them from running in the future for elections. Al Jazeera just showed videos of protesters in Dammiyat, Zaqazeeq and Port Said. That is in addition to Cairo, Alexandria, Suez, Al Arish and Ismailiya. 

1230 GMT: NBC correspondent Richard Engel tweets that protests have not just been held in Cairo, but also in Alexandria, Ismailia, Suez and Al Arish in Sinai. This development could mean more headaches for SCAF as so far the protests had largely been confined to Cairo and Alexandria and a few small ones in Suez and Miniya. 

1225 GMT: Several sources on Twitter are vehemently denying that tear gas is being used. According to them, the gas being used on protesters is quite different is causing internal injuries to some protesters and possibly poisonous. Many of these injured are being brought to the field clinics set up inside Tahrir Square and are being treated. The real battle is raging in the side streets around Tahrir, mainly Mohamed Mahmoud. 

1210 GMT: Al Arabiya is now tweeting the medical sources report that the number of dead from yesterday has risen to 33 now. 

1205 GMT: There are now reports on Twitter that protesters are marching in Alexandria as well. We'll wait to confirm this. 

1205 GMT: There are several reports that many protesters have been injured in Mohamed Mahmoud Street by rubber bullets fired by the police. At least four ambulances entered the square and moved toward that street as shown by AJM's livefeed. Reports indicate that reform leader Ayman Nour is on his way to join protesters in Tahrir Square, but this cannot be independently confirmed yet. 

1150 GMT: Situation in Tahrir Square is now explosive. Crowds are loudly chanting against SCAF and Marshal Tantawi. Clashes in side streets continue with heavy use of tear gas. The presence of women in Tahrir is quite noticable. There are no updates from SCAF's supposed press conference. It might have been scrapped, but there are no reports to confirm or deny that.  

1125 GMT: Al Jazeera has a good round-up of political parties' and presidential candidates' responses to the violence against protesters. Except for the April 6th Movement, every other party and major candidate has shied away from calling on SCAF to step aside. Although ElBaradei has called SCAF responsible for security in the country, the general consensus among the other parties is that elections should be held as quickly as possible - something the protesters oppose. 

1055 GMT: The number of protestes in Tahrir Square is increasing by the minute. There are young, old, men, women and even school children within the ranks. Clashes inside the square have been halted for now, but continued tear gas and clashes in the side streets is barely being covered. There has been unconfirmed reports of at least one protester being carried away from a building. 

1040 GMT: Al Jazeera is reporting that the Muslim Brotherhood might be feeling he heat. An important member of the party, Mohamed el-Beltagi posted on his Facebook account that the youth in Tahrir were "expressing their anger at the Brotherhood" for the party's lack of participation in the protests against SCAF. He called on the Brotherhood to maybe review its position. 

1030 GMT: Two protesters who are members of Egyptian Current Party have died in clashes during protests, according to Ahram Online. One member, Shehab el-Din Ahmed was killed in Tahrir in Cairo, while another member, Bahaa El-Deen El-Senoussi died in Alexandria. 

1010 GMT: A military representative just spoke to journalists, saying that police are responsible for protecting the Ministry of Interior and that army men will be supplied to deal with protesters. He also mockingly accused protesters of costing Egypt seven billion pounds. 

He further added that protesters caused the violence, even though he said that people had the right to protest in this ironic presser. He also said that the army still wishes to hand over power peacefully to a civilian government. 

1005 GMT: Al Jazeera English is reporting that SCAF will be holding a press conference within the next half hour. What will be announced is anyone's guess, but likely addressing protests and information about the state of the elections. 

0955 GMT: For now, protesters have managed to push back the police out of Tahrir Square. The tear gas has cleared and there are no clashes inside the square like earlier. How long will the peace last is probably going to depend on whether SCAF will send the military again like yesterday to clear the square, then let the police brutalize the masses, possibly. 

0930 GMT: A new video from yesterday in Tahrir Square shows the extent of brutality of the police against protesters. We are posting it with a strong warning that the images are graphic in nature: 

0920 GMT: Tear gas is being used quite liberally around Tahrir this morning. Protesters are trying their best to get out of the way, but some are being caught by it. Face coverings look insufficient to stop the onslaught. Most of the clashes are occuring near the side streets. The Middle of the square has protesters walking up and down, as if waiting for more people to join them. 

0915 GMT: How bad was gunfire at Tahrir? This image should explain that succinctly: 

0850 GMT: Evan Hill is reportin from Cairo that 20 protesters have been killed and over 1,500 injured so far, as per the Ministry of Health. Meanwhile loud bangs can be heard from Tahrir Square's vicinity on a live feed from the area is by an activist. It is uncertain whether its live ammo or just tear gas. 

0830 GMT: More tear gas today at Tahrir Square in Cairo as protesters continue to stay within the square and the adjoining streets. An apartment building is on fire near Tahrir Square. Here's a picture: 

Journalist Jon Jensen writes from Cairo over the last hour, "Police are shooting tear gas almost straight into the air to hit apartment rooftops, where protesters are attacking with Molotovs....Thick black smoke rising from base of an apartment building in Bab al-Louq not far from Tahrir Square....Police actively targeting apartment rooftops in the Tahrir area with tear gas."

Journalist Ian Lee from Tahrir Square in Cairo, "Protesters have advanced the furthest I've seen this morning. They're taunting the police."

Journalist Jon Jensen: "Endless rounds of gunfire, tear gas being fired in downtown Cairo this morning. Very intense for 8 a.m."

And Thom Reilly writes, "In Tahrir now. It's a mess. Rubbish everywhere. Building on fire behind AUC. Tear gas, smoke hang in air. Crowd shifting nervously."

Less than 48 hours ago, we were expecting a sizeable but far from situation-changing rally in Tahrir Square in the Egyptian capital Cairo, as activists and supporters of a range of political groups gathered to express dissatisfaction with the military rulers. Thirty-six hours ago, we noted that some of the protesters were staying in a sit-in, but predicted little more than that.

Today Egypt is in violent uncertainty after security forces launched a series of attempts to clear the square and, facing resistance in and around Tahrir, escalated their assault with tear gas, rubber bullets, and live ammunition. At least 11 people were slain and hundreds injured, and video and reports indicated the toll could rise.

The force, however, did not succeed. Protesters regrouped and held the square last night. There have been marches and clashes in other cities, including Alexandria, Al Minya, Suez, Aswan, and Assiut.

Twenty-four hours ago, we wrote that a rather simple narrative about Egypt had been "replaced with the full, immediate spectrum of discontent with the ruling military council and its attempts to suppress dissent.....The challenge is far beyond the forthcoming elections.". That seems on the mark this morning. However, we hold open the possibility, after the latest developments, that this sentence was not quite right: "Activists may have been over-eager when they called the day another '28 January', a reference to the Mubarak regime's attempt to crush the opposition that would finally bring it down."