Violent clashes erupted late Wednesday between security forces and Coptic protesters in the Mansheyyet Nasser neighborhood located east of Cairo. Eight policemen and six Copts were injured. Police arrested 11 protesters. A security source said protesters were demonstrating against Tuesday's shooting, allegedly by an off-duty policeman, that left one Copt dead and 5 injured. The protest blocked traffic on the Autostrad and other roads leading to Moqattam neighborhood for almost two hours as demonstrators hurled stones at vehicles and passers-by. Heavy security was imposed in the Zarayeb area in Mansheyyet Nasser as riot police used water hoses to disperse protesters. Security forces were able to impose total control by 10:30PM when roads were re-opened. Dr. Nabil Peter, a doctor at Saint Samaan al-Khazzar Hospital where the injured were treated, said four patients were discharged from the hospital after receiving treatment while others were transferred to a better-equipped hospital. While the source said no policemen were injured, an Al-Masry Al-Youm reporter saw an ambulance transferring some of them. The source added that detainees will soon be released. Reporters were prevented from photographing the scene. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
