CAIRO: Interrupting my daily routine of harassing women for stories, three Coptic women jumped onto the metro car, crying and screaming. “The army is shooting at Copts in Maspero!” one of the women screamed, making her two little girls weep harder. It was only around half past six, so most of the passengers on the metro, including me, didn't even know a protest was taking place. A traumatic atmosphere filled the car now; people put their conversations and thoughts to a halt and stared at the crying and screaming Coptic women who had just come from Maspero – trying to make sense out of what's going on. “I saw parts of human flesh scattered on the ground,” told me one of the Coptic eye-witnesses, assuring me that it was a peaceful march. “Kiryalison” (Lord have mercy!) is what the protesters repeated as they marched holding their crosses, she told me. Other women on the metro started gathering around these Coptic women now – trying to calm them down. Chatter grew louder between the passengers as some argued and others consoled the crying protesters. Nagwa Abdullah told me that she had to flee because armed vehicles were running protesters around her over – and that many protesters were injured. She told me that there were several attempts to prevent the march from reaching Maspero. In Kolaly and Shubra, thugs attacked the protesters – throwing rocks and Molotov at them, but they continued walking despite these attempts. It wasn't until they got to Maspero when the protesters were met by “absolute terror.” “Deafening gunfire, then rivers of blood! Rivers of blood!” the eyewitness screamed. She cried and trembled as she added that she had to flee the area because it was turning into a “massacre.” Consoling the crying eyewitness, a woman in higab, who was sitting next to her started to cry as well. “If we were animals, they wouldn't have shot at us like that. Why are we being treated this way?” the protester with the crying girls screamed. Other passengers, staring at her, shook their heads, and condemned the military council for using such violent measures against peaceful protesters. With a golden cross resting on her chest, an older woman got up and walked slowly over to the screaming protester with the children, put her hand on her shoulder and asked her to pray. BM
