CAIRO: At least sixteen demonstrators were injured Monday morning when their nine-day-long sit-in before the Egyptian Radio & Television headquarters was forcibly ended at 5am, just an hour before curfew ended at 6am. Thirteen of the injured were Coptic Christians and three were Muslims. Many Muslims joined the sit-in to show solidarity with their Coptic countrymen. Thousands of Coptic Protesters announced on Sunday that they would end their sit-in, following the announcement that the reconstruction had begun on a church destroyed in last week's sectarian violence. Prominent Coptic lawyer Michael Mounir told local newspapers that hundreds of Copts insisted on staying in front of the state television building after the sit-in was ended, refusing to go home until the curfew was lifted at 6am, as they were not residents of Cairo. Mounir said the group was assaulted by military police while some of the demonstrators were still sleeping. He called for investigation and an official apology to all the protestors. A military source told local newspapers that the Egyptian military has begun to rebuild the church of St. George & St. Mina, in Sol Village, Atfeeh, in the governorate of Helwan. A lawyer for the Egyptian Coptic Christian Church confirmed the news. The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces promised the community last week that the church would be rebuilt in its original location at the expense of the state and would be finished by the Easter holiday. The church was torched during a clash between a Muslim and a Coptic Christian family, which led to further clashes in the shantytown of Manshiyet Nasr. Thugs and Salafis, extremist Muslims, attacked peaceful Coptic demonstrators who were protesting against the torching of the church, leading to the death of 13 protesters. Dozens more were injured. BM
