CAIRO: Tens of thousands of Egypt's Coptic Christian minority in honor of those who were killed in the October 9 violence in front of the state television building in downtown Cairo. The march began in the Abbasiya neighborhood and went toward Cairo's Tahrir Square. The march was nearly silent, no chanting and simple drums sounding in unison with the footsteps of those in the procession. It was, in many ways, a march in silence, giving honor to those who lost their lives. “This is important for us as Egyptians to believe that we can come together for peace and justice after all the violence and death that has come to Egypt,” said one marcher to Bikyamasr.com. The march arrived in Tahrir Square around 7 PM local time, with many online activists and witnesses talking of the “amazing” atmosphere among the diverse group of Egyptians. One marcher reported that a man had formed a cross as the procession passed through downtown Cairo earlier in the day. They were honoring the 27 people killed in the attack by the military against thousands of Coptic Christians who had demonstrated on October 9 for their rights and in response to a church burning in Upper Egypt the week before. Since then, the Christian community in Egypt, which accounts for around 10 percent of the 80 million people, have been on edge, with the military denying opening fire on protesters, instead saying the Copts themselves attacked the armed forces. A number of solidarity protests have occurred since then, with hundreds upon hundreds of Egyptians, Muslim and Christian, coming together to demand an end to the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) rule. There were no reported incidents of violence or antagonism. BM
