Clashes erupted between police and protestors in front of the Shura Council on Qasr Al-Ainy on Saturday afternoon. At time of print, the clashes around Tahrir Square were still ongoing.
A few thousand protesters, officially represented by 15 groups and parties participating in demonstrations in Tahrir Square, gathered and marched to the Shura Council to voice their rejection of the constitution and the Islamist-dominated legislative body.
The march managed to go around a wall erected to protect the council and was met by security forces that responded with tear gas in an attempt to disperse protestors.
Confrontations also continued on Yousef Al-Gendy Street near the Ministry of Interior where a few hundred young men faced off with Central Security Forces (CSF). The two sides exchanged rocks and debris while police fired rounds of tear gas into the crowds.
On Saturday afternoon ten ambulances lined Mohamed Mahmoud Street, though most reported injuries were tear gas-related and treated on site. Fire from Molotov cocktails burned a building between the two sides.
The Ministry of Interior released a statement earlier that day insisting that it was continuing to perform its duties and responsibilities to preserve the security of citizens. The statement also advised citizens to stay away from areas where clashes have taken place since Thursday to avoid injury.
Yousef Al-Gendy Street also witnessed clashes on Friday during peaceful demonstrations in Tahrir Square.
Members of various opposition parties and groups continued their sit-in in Tahrir Square, demanding that the Muslim Brotherhood-led government meet the “goals of the revolution.”
Groups of protesters chanted for the “downfall of the regime” and called the new constitution “illegitimate.”
Opposition groups, including the National Salvation Front (NSF), announced an open-ended sit-in on Friday night following mass demonstrations. The NSF’s demands include calls to amend the constitution and for the government to focus on the ailing economy.
On Saturday, the NSF threatened to boycott upcoming parliamentary elections if those demands are not met.
