Skirmishes broke out early Saturday between police forces and unknown groups at Qasr Al-Nil Bridge near Cairo's central Tahrir Square, state news agency MENA reports. Calm had been restored on Friday after police forces fired tear gas and tied a security cordon at the bridge following minor clashes and stone-throwing. Tyres were also set on fire near Semiramis and Shepherd hotels in the Tahrir Square vicinity, prompting police presence in the area. A number of activists staged a small protest in the square on Friday, calling for early presidential elections and announcing a sit-in in the square until the end of June, Ahram Arabic news website reported. Tahrir was opened to traffic in March after protesters closed it for more than three months for sit-in started on 22 November when President Morsi issued a constitutional declaration that critics said rendered his decisions above judicial intervention. The iconic square has witnessed recurring clashes between different protesting groups and police forces, particularly during the second anniversary of Egypt's January 25 Revolution. http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/70657.aspx
