Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Elder of ZiyonEgyptian police fired teargas on Wednesday to disperse hundreds of demonstrators in Ramses, Cairo’s busiest square, eyewitnesses said.
A group of around 600 protesters managed sneak into downtown Cairo by tricking security forces which were blocking the roads. They gathered in Ramses chanting anti-government slogans, activists and eyewitnesses told Al-Masry Al-Youm.
Egyptian police fired teargas canisters towards roughly one thousand protesters on Wednesday evening as the latter marched down Cairo's 26 July Street towards Tahrir Square, the site of a massive protest on Tuesday that was only dispersed early Wednesday morning.
Security forces used batons to beat back protesters.
Groups of demonstrators headed towards the city's downtown district, with several hundred chanting, "Get lost, minister of torture," in reference to Egyptian Interior Minister Habib al-Adli.
They also chanted: "The people want to oust the regime," "Mubarak get lost," and "Revolution in the streets of Egypt until we achieve victory."
Egyptian authorities on Wednesday prohibited the underground metro from stopping at Sadat Metro Station in central Cairo so as to prevent demonstrators from arriving to Tahrir Square.
A planned protest in front of Cairo University on Wednesday was aborted after security cordoned off the facilities and arrested eight people while high-ranking officials and more than ten police trucks waited around.
The eight people included six activists, an Al-Masry Al-Youm reporter and a British reporter. The reporters and a female activist were released after officers took their information. The remaining five people were driven away.
Also, Egypt has blocked access to Twitter.
