Police clashed with protesters in Cairo on Saturday after dispersing a sit-in by people wounded during this year’s uprising.
The official MENA news agency reported that police moved into Tahrir Square in the morning to break up the sit-in, which also included relatives of victims killed during the revolt that overthrew president Hosni Mubarak in February.
An Agence France-Presse correspondent reported clashes later between riot police and roughly 200 protesters who flung whatever they could at police who beat them with sticks.
A security official said police arrested several protesters and dozens of people were lightly wounded in the clash.
The sit-in, which had gone for some days, called for speedy trials of police and officials accused of involvement in the deadly crackdowns during the 18-day revolt that ousted Mubarak.
Flooding the square
Mubarak is on trial along with his former interior minister and security chiefs on charges of ordering the killings of some of the roughly 850 people killed during the uprising.
The sit-in had been joined by some of the tens of thousands of protesters who flooded the square on Friday to demand a quick transition to civilian rule.
Friday’s demonstration, which was spearheaded by Islamist groups, also called on the military-appointed Cabinet to withdraw a constitutional draft that would prevent parliamentary scrutiny of the defence budget.
The military, in charge since Mubarak’s resignation on February 11, says it will hand over power after a yet unscheduled presidential election.
Parliamentary elections will start on November 28. — AFP