Protest against persecution of Copts in Egypt attacked with bloody force

Violence seen at peaceful march turns into full-blown and two-pronged attack on protesters by armed forces and plain-clothed assailants, leaving scores injured

A peaceful march by Copts today against religious persecution turned violent after the protesters were attacked.
A march of 10,000 Copts began today from Shubra to the State TV building in Maspero turned violent when protesters were attacked by stone throwing mobs from on top of the surrounding walla while they were trying to cross the Shubra tunnel. A 15-minute battle ensued as the Coptic protesters fought back and hurled stones at their assailants.
During the attack panic ensued as women protesters were told to stand under the bridge for safety as Coptic youth tried to contain the march. After the battle stopped the march, once again regained its peaceful nature and continued towards Maspero.
On their way to Maspero they stopped in the neighboring Galaa Street and were attacked once again, as a car sped through the crowd and randomely shot at protesters. The march continued once again to Maspero where the protesters were attacked again with increased vigour and violence.
An Ahram Online correspondent at Maspero reports seeing glass being thrown down at protesters from inside the State broadcasting building in Maspero while armoured personnel carriers were driven by the army through the crowds, hitting and running protesters over. Eyewitnesses accounts posted on Twitter detail people being shot by the armed forces and attacked by plain-clothed thugs with fire concuming vehicles by the Nile.
The protest was organised by the Maspero Youth Union, a group of young Coptic activists to protest against the recent violations against Copts. The protesters chanted, ‘raise your head high you are a Copt,” and “no to burning of churches.” The protesters also chanted against the army, shouting “the people want the fall of the Field Marshall Tantawi,” and chanted “Tantawi, where is your army, our homes and churches are being attacked.”
Many of the protesters held huge crosses, with one having an army garb dressed on it, with a poster stuck on it saying “We thought the army will unite us, but they divided us.”
The protesters were angry at the latest attack on the Coptic Church in the village of Merinab in Aswan when Muslim villagers attempted to block renovations underway at a Christian church in the majority Muslim village, charging that the building was actually a ‘guesthouse' that cannot be turned into a church. The protesters, also demanded that the governor of Aswan is removed for justifying the attack on the church and saying that they never received a permit. The protesters were also furious at the increasing attacks against Copts in recent months and the army's lack of protection. They also demanded to know why the government of Essam Sharaf refused to introduce an anti-discrimination law as he promised last march, or finalise a draft for a unified building code for Muslims and Christians.
“You can call it whatever you like, anti-discrimination law, an anti-racism law,” fumed lawyer Nabil Ghabriel. “But the point it we want equality in this country.”
Another protester from Shubra, Lotfy Mikhael, insisted that the situation has continued to deteriorate since the revolution began.
“I feel that this is a cross Egypt's Christians have to bear and we will never feel equal in this country,” Mikhael said. “All we want is to be treated the same as Muslims.”
The protest was mostly peaceful for the first hour, with protesters at some point creating a human cross in the middle of the Shubra Road. However, while nearing the Shubra tunnel, several protesters burned a picture of Tantawi amid whistles and cheers. The situation quickly turned violent as they were hit by stone from assailants on top of them.
“The army is treating us the way Mubarak treated protesters during the revolution,” protesters Mary Nour told Ahram Online after the fight ended. “But we will never give up.”