CAIRO: A new initiative has been launched in Egypt in an effort to protect against violence inside central Cairo's Tahrir Square as thousands descend on the square this Tuesday. Among the goals is the protection of women participating in the demonstrations, after incidents have been reported of sexual harassment and assaults in the square in recent days as Egyptians gather to protest against President Mohamed Morsi. The Twitter account @TahrirBodyguard has been launched by Egyptian citizens as “A collective effort to ensure safety in Tahrir, especially for women. Tweet @ us if u need protection and we will RT and hook you up with others 2 protect u.” Already, hundreds of Egyptians have followed the account, with many pushing others to follow in an effort to ensure safety for women in the square. “Please everyone follow @TahrirBodyguard and volunteer if u can for the safety of demonstrating women! #TahrirBodyguard,” wrote Monica Shahid on Twitter in calling for people to follow and support the citizen-run initiative. On Sunday, an angry mob of around 300 men near Egypt's Tahrir Square attacked and ripped three women's clothes off and chased them near one of the field hospitals by the square. The state-run al-Ahram newspaper reported that the women, of an unknown age, had their clothes torn from their bodies by the mob, assaulted and were then chased near the frontlines of the ongoing clashes with police on Sunday early afternoon. The report said that protesters nearby who saw the incident intervened and rescued the women from further assault. Another incident on Friday also sparked a fervor of worries occurred near the Pizza Hut on Mohamed Mahmoud Street, with dozens of men allegedly brutally assaulting a woman on the street. According to a doctor, the woman was the victim of “mass rape." While the incident was reported on Twitter, a group of male protesters reportedly intervened and were able to remove the woman from the assault. Those who first revealed the incident refused to speak to the media, including Bikyamasr.com on the incident, but it again highlighted the fear women have of taking to Tahrir during mass protests. Other women on the micro-blogging site and on Facebook reported being groped and harassed while they were in Tahrir, including a number of female journalists.
