CAIRO: An Egyptian man protesting against the ruling military council in Egypt's capital was shot by security forces on Saturday as police bombarded activists in Cairo's Tahrir Square. Another protester in Alexandria reportedly died after being shot in the head. Over 750 other protesters have been injured, the country's health ministry has reported. Activists say over 1,000 people have been injured. According to the report and eyewitnesses on the ground, there is live ammunition being fired on the street by the downtown campus of The American University in Cairo (AUC) and bullets are fired at protesters from people dressed in plainclothes. Activists on the ground report scores of people arriving with knives and other “light weapons,” ready “to attack” the protesters. One eyewitness said residents of the nearby Bab al-Louk and Abdeen neighborhoods were spotted from rooftops throwing Molotov bottles. At around 10 PM on Saturday, Islamists leader Hazem Saleh Abu Ismail – the man who initially sparked clashes between protesters the evening before – and Seleem al-Awa, were reportedly in the square attempting to get information on what was happening from their followers, yet activists said the two were attempting to convince protesters to return home. Al-Awa was reportedly forcibly removed from the square by protesters after they refused to return home and said they would remain in the square. The Mohamed ElBaradie campaign told protesters that the once popular presidential candidate is on his way with a vision for a “national salvage government” that he wishes to discuss with protesters. Earlier in the day he had said on his official Twitter account that the police had used “excessive” force and added that “saving Egypt is a national duty that cannot be delayed.” Eyewitnesses are reporting a massive rise in the number of injured and calling on people to give medical supplies and asking doctors to arrive to the iconic square to help the victims. BM
