Charlie Miller
By Charlie Miller
Thousands of supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi marched in Cairo on Tuesday, under the banner of “Together against the Coup and the Zionists” in light of alleged Israeli involvement in the explosions in Sinai on Friday.
One such march, organised by the Anti-Coup Alliance, passed through downtown Cairo, and attempted to demonstrate in front of the Ministry of the Interior. Eyewitnesses say groups including local residents and vendors began to throw rocks and bottles at the marching masses, whose size they estimated was around 2000.
As the clashes continued, Central Security Forces in armoured trucks began to fire tear gas.
Three tear gas canisters fired on the corner of Nober Pasha Street in response to a final volley of rocks from the marchers signalled the end of the clashes, as the majority of the marchers dissipated into side streets, however a number of isolated pockets of violence broke out in the surrounding area.
A bearded male was grabbed by three other men, one of whom was wielding a small knife, and was beaten, punched on the head and dragged down a street parallel to where the clashes occurred. It was unclear whether the victim had been involved in the earlier clashes or marches.
Relative calm was restored an hour after the clashes, which began shortly before 2pm. Broken glass and rocks covered the streets in Falaky Square as well as other side streets, and groups of young men patrolled with wooden sticks and poles.
A number of posters of the ousted president lay torn on the pavement: a sign of earlier animosity.
