CAIRO: Tensions between the Egyptian army and pro-Palestinian demonstrators escalated during Sunday's commemoration of the 63rd anniversary of the Nakba – the day when Palestinians fled their homes after the establishment of Israel – leaving hundreds of people severely wounded. One protester, Atef Yehya, was shot in the head and remains in critical condition. Another, Ali Khalaf was shot in the stomach and his situation seems to be stable. The army arrested at least 60 people. On Sunday, thousands gathered in front of the Israeli embassy in Cairo to express their solidarity with the Palestinian people. The atmosphere in front of the embassy was initially peaceful; protesters were singing Palestinian songs and chanting slogans. Demonstrators responded to the presence of military police by shouting: “The people and the army are one hand.” However, tensions rose during the afternoon as individuals tried to enter the embassy. The armed forces, regular solidiers as well as military police, started to fire in the air to disperse the crowd. This led to growing anger among the protesters, who were gathering in front of the army. The situation remained tense during the evening as demonstrators were demanding the army to leave. Eyewitnesses reported that individuals tried to remove a fence separating them from the army. When they were approaching the military with their arms raised to signal that they were peaceful, the armed forces fired teargas at protesters. The situation escalated as the army started to shoot live ammunition at the crowd. At least one person was shot in the head, approximately 15 others wounded. The main area surrounding the embassy was subsequently sealed off, forcing many activists to leave. Approximately 100 protesters regrouped and confronted the army again. The latter arrested dozens of people, and harassed several journalists, including Al Jazeera correspondent Rawya Rageh. Battles continued until late in the early morning. More than 300 were wounded in confrontations with the army by Monday morning. Mohammed Effat, a freelance journalist decribed the scene on Al Jazeera: “They pointed their guns at us, forced us to lie on our stomachs, fired heavily into air, cussing at and hitting us. An officer told me whoever looked up would be smacked on the neck,” he wrote. “Last thing was that they took our phones and IDs, queuing us to put in [Central Security] cars while yelling ‘Have fun in military prison rev[olutionary] youth'.” Countless activists that became famous on Twitter during the revolution such as Tarek Shalaby and Mosaab Elshamy were arrested. The confrontations mark a new climax in tensions between protesters and the army. Conflicts have been building up after a Facebook campaign announced the “Nakba day” as the day of the Third Palestinian Intifada. The campaign put increased pressure on Egypt's military rulers. Skepticism towards the army has been growing; questions were raised about its failure to prevent attacks on Copts and on the continuing use of Military Tribunals against protesters. The Facebook campaign for a third intifada seems to have been the straw that finally broke the military. Protests had started on Friday as thousands demonstrated in Cairo's Tahrir square, expressing their solidarity with the Palestinian people as well as with the Copts. The frictions between activists and the army were growing on Saturday as thousands attempted to travel to the border crossing with Gaza. However, the ruling Supreme Council of Armed Forces ordered tourism companies not to send buses to the convoy. The few buses that left were stopped by the army, making it impossible for the convoy to pass. Mai Shaheen, one of the organizers of the convoy expressed her dismay: “Under the Mubarak regime we were able to organise a convoy from Cairo to reach Rafah. Now, after the revolution, we are banned.” Many Palestinian solidarity activists had been hopeful after the interim government announced its intention to open the border to Gaza. However, the crackdown, activists suggest, that although Mubarak might have left politics, his repression of activists is far from over. Activists, Workers Unions and the Islamic movement are calling for another rally in front of the Ministry of Interior today in order to protest against the repression by the army. BM
