Fighting has stopped between protesters and military police in front of the cabinet headquarters in downtown Cairo. According to Ahram Online reporter at the scene, the army has created a human shield of officers in front of the cabinet building and another one in front of the Tawon gas station in Kasr El Aini Street and detained a group of twenty protesters in the middle of the street. However, after a short period, the female protesters who were detained inside the street were slowly released. Our reporter witnessed several of the freed female protesters sobbing, with one suffering from a bleeding nose and another injured and being carried away. Activist, Nour Ayman Nour, son of possible presidential candidate Ayman Nour, was among those who were detained in the street. He told Ahram Online that security forces have agreed to release all those who are held in the street with the exception of protester Mohamed Magdy, who will be handed over to the Ministry of Interior. Physician Farida El Hessy, who went to the scene to try and help the wounded was dragged by her hair and detained in the street with the other protesters. According to El Hessy, the security forces sexually harassed the female protesters. A female protester who tried to leave the street was also threatened by an officer and told that if she moves away she will be shot. Doctors at the scene claim that most of the wounded brought in so far were injured by stones and rubber bullets. However, they say that they have not yet seen any wounded cases by live ammunition, although twitter reports of activists at the scene claim that security forces fired live shots at protesters. Some sections of the Authority of Roads and Bridges building, where the army has reportedly attacked protesters is burned and several of the windows are broken. The number of protesters at the scene have dwindled down to 200. A small group held the Friday prayers and proceeded to chant against military rule. Several protesters are also hiding in sideway streets. The Cabinet headquarters has been the site of much strife after hundreds of protesters opposing the recent appointment of Kamal El-Ganzouri as prime minister began an open-ended sit-in since 25 November outside Cabinet headquarters to prevent the 77-year-old, Mubarak-era politician from entering the premises. On 14 December, sixty of the protesters staging suffered severe food poisoning after an unidentified woman provided them with Hawawshi (spicy minced meat sandwiches).
