CAIRO: Violent clases have continued in Cairo through the evening, after military police fired upon a protest set to advocate for Coptic rights and protection in front of Egypt's Maspero state TV building earlier today. Egyptian state TV has reported that at least 17 protesters are dead, however activists believe that the number is closer to 30. The protest has developed far beyond its initial Coptic-rights agenda, as Egyptians of various backgrounds gather together in mass demonstrations, chanting, “Muslims and Christians are one hand,” and employing slogans against the army. “It's just like the Mubarak era when we kicked out the police. Now we need to kick out the army,” Amr, a Muslim man who was injured in the clashes today, told Bikyamasr.com Earlier in the evening, a military vehicle ran over protesters, injuring hoards of people. Protesters attacked the vehicle, trying to remove the driver. “Its a cat and mouse game, where the army is coming in and inciting violence, and then retracting to let the scene intensify,” reported a Bikyamasr.com correspondent from the scene. “We still hear gunfire down here,” he went on. Coptic protesters reportedly set fire to a police car in front of a Coptic hospital in downtown Cairo, where many of the wounded and dead have been brought for care. Egyptian state TV claimed that Coptic Christians initiated the attack, angering many who believe that the inaccurate state TV discourse will insight further violence. Coptic Christians demonstrated last Tuesday in front of the Maspero building, and were met by Egypt's military police then as well. Early into the morning, police fired shots into the air in an attempt to disperse the crowd that remained. The protests were organized after Muslim citizens attacked a Coptic church in Aswan on September 30, claiming that the church did not obtain proper permits for construction. Christians are angry at Egypt's interim ruling government for failing to protect Copts during an onslaught of anti-Christian attacks in Egypt this year. BM ***Joseph Mayton and Manar Ammar contributed to this report.
