Any attempts to storm the Interior Ministry headquarters downtown will be handled as unlawful acts of sabotage, the ministry said in a statement Wednesday. The ministry said it had instructed police forces to demonstrate self-restraint and to avoid violence against peaceful protesters. Violence broke out Tuesday between security forces and protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square, leaving hundreds injured. Some press reports linked the demonstrations to protesters' desire to speed up prosecution of former regime officials, while other reports allege that it began in Agouza outside a theater where the families of protesters killed during Egypt's uprising were being honored. The statement said all security forces have been evacuated from Tahrir Square, adding that ministry security will deal with any further break-in attempts according to law. It added that the public prosecution has begun investigations to determine the reasons behind the incidents, and the findings will be announced transparently. The statement asked Egyptians not to be tricked by rumors seeking to divide people and police authorities under the veneer of defending martyrs' rights. It emphasized the ministry's respect for the families of the victims of the 25 January revolution. The April 6 Youth Movement earlier called the reaction by security forces to Tuesday protests "unfathomable." It said rubber bullets and tear gas were used against demonstrators. Cairo's security chief, Mohsen Morad, told state-run TV that tear gas bombs do not pose a lethal threat. Translated from the Arabic Edition
