Coptic leaders said on Monday that Copts who had taken part in a sit-in in front of the Radio and Television building in downtown Cairo were assaulted by members of the military who forced them to leave at 5 AM on Monday morning, before the curfew ended. Coptic protesters had announced Sunday that they would end their sit-in, which was provoked by events in which angry Muslims attacked and burned a church located in Helwan, south of Cairo. A romantic relationship between a Coptic man and a Muslim woman had sparked the clashes between Copts and Muslims. Copts staging the sit-in called for protection, rebuilding the church and dismissing the Helwan governor. Meanwhile, armed forces started on Sunday rebuilding the church and hence protesters announced that they would end the sit-in. Coptic activist Michael Mounir said thousands of Copts who stayed after the sit-in was officially ended refused to return to their homes during the curfew hours, mainly because most of them did not reside in Cairo. Mounir said Coptic leaders had asked the military to wait until 6 AM (when the curfew was due to end) but armed forces attacked protesters while they were sleeping. Mounir added that armed forces beat the remaining protesters, leaving 15 Christians and Muslims injured. He demanded an apology and investigation.
