At least three people were critically injured in clashes between protesters and police in Mohamed Mahmoud Street early Tuesday morning, including one who is in a coma.
Gaber Salah Gaber, a member of the 6 April Youth Movement, is in the intensive care unit of Al-Qasr Al-Eini Hospital after sustaining shotgun injuries to the head and neck. Members of 6 April said Gaber has a pellet lodged in his brain and is in a coma.
Gaber’s fellow 6 April member Mahmoud Saeed is also in critical condition after sustaining three shotgun wounds to his stomach. Saeed is also in Al-Qasr Al-Eini Hospital and is in urgent need of blood donations.
Protesters and onlookers said at least one man was killed this morning, with some estimating even more. There has been no official confirmation of this however.
On Tuesday morning a ring of rocks surrounded a blood trail, said have come from a protester who died, on Mohamed Mahmoud Street. A woman in the street claimed police killed her son by shooting him in the head with live ammunition.
Waleed Nada, an activist who monitors injuries and deaths in clashes, said the group he works with recorded no deaths but there were several serious injuries other than Gaber. One protester needed six stitches in his head and face.
Nada said protesters confused shotgun blasts with rifle fire, thinking that only rifle fire could be lethal.
Rubble filled the side Youssef El-Gendy side street off Mohamed Mahmoud, the site of a battle between police and protesters that started Monday evening and carried on until early Tuesday morning.
The smell of tear gas was prevalent Tuesday afternoon. Police and protesters exchanged rocks Monday night with the police occasionally resorting to firing tear gas canisters and rubber bullets. They started using firing shotguns early Tuesday.
The Ministry of Health says over 40 people were injured but doctors in a field hospital Monday night told Daily News Egypt there were over 300 injuries.
Most injuries were from tear gas inhalation or hurled rocks and other missiles, both the field hospital doctor and an EMT at an ambulance confirmed.
The general prosecution is interrogating 19 protesters who police arrested during the clashes. No official charges have been filed. Prime Minister Hesham Qandil visited six injured policemen being treated at the police hospital.
The clashes stemmed from a demonstration held to commemorate the anniversary and victims of the Mohamed Mahmoud Street clashes.
The Ministry of Interior released a statement on 18 November claiming it had information that there were calls to attack the ministry and that it would respond to such attempts by any means necessary.
Police also justified clashes with protesters last year by saying they were attempting to attack the Ministry of Interior.
Mohamed Mahmoud Street does not directly lead to the Ministry of Interior, with other streets in the area such as Mansour Street and Sheikh Rehan Street being much closer.
