Thousands of demonstrators march in Downtown Cairo to mark the first anniversary of the Maspero protest crackdown, where at least 27 Coptic protesters were killed last year Several thousand protesters march from the district of Shubra near Downtown Cairo Tuesday afternoon to the state radio and television building to commemorate the first anniversary of the Maspero clashes, where 27 protesters, mostly Coptic Christians, were killed. The deadly incident occurred when a peaceful march against the destruction of a church in Aswan and the authorities' subsequent inaction was confronted by the military near the building in Maspero, central Cairo, on 9 October 2011. Some protesters are carrying the banners of Field Marshal Mohamed Tantawi, head of the military council which was in charge of the country at the time, and his deputy Sami Anan with leashes around their necks, signifying punishment by execution. Others are holding aloft a large flag bearing the face of Mina Danial, the young Egyptian activist who was killed during the crackdown and has become a revolutionary icon since. Other flags feature the faces of some of the slain protesters. The most prominent chant by protesters is "The people want the execution of the Field Marshall". Tantawi is no longer in charge of the military council, having been ordered to retire by Egypt president Mohamed Morsi in August. Video footage filmed at the Maspero protest last year showed military forces running over several protesters with armoured vehicles. Tuesday's march is designed to be a carbon copy of last year's, resembling the same route from Dawaran Shurba square to the State TV headquarters in Maspero. A group of hardcore football fans, widely known as the Ultras, are also participating in the march.
