CAIRO: At least five people have been reported dead in Egypt's Suez, according to local newspapers. Others are reporting as many as 12 people are dead, including a police officer as Egypt violence continues to grow and multiply across the country. In front of Egypt's radio and television building that houses state television, or Maspero, thousands of Egyptian protesters remain in near constant battle with the police. The activists have lit numerous fires along the main corniche road as tear gas wafts over the area. “This is really strong stuff and more powerful than I've ever experienced,” 22-year-old Ahmed, donning his “V for Vendetta” mask, told Bikyanews.com on Friday evening as he and his group of friends waited just outside the frontline to go back in for more. Hundreds of thousands of Egyptians poured into city centers across the country to mark the second anniversary of the January 2011 uprising that ousted former dictator Hosni Mubarak from power. The violence in Suez, east of Cairo, has been the most violent and the reports of deaths is unlikely to see the situation become more calm. “We will be here until our demands are heard,” added Ahmed. The ministry of health has confirmed over 380 people have been injured in the nationwide violence. Protesters are unlikely to let up as midnight approaches. Activists are worried that as the numbers begin to dwindle the police will use more lethal tactics against them. In a statement issued today, the current founded by former presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabahi urged protesters to head to the Shura Council to besiege it since it “lacks popular legitimacy." Currently a concrete wall lies between the protesters in Tahrir and the Shura Council, but protesters were working towards removing the wall in order to reach the parliament. Dozens of protesters hurled stones at security forces stationed behind the cement wall in Sheikh Rihan's Street in downtown Cairo. Police responded with barrages of tear gas against the protesters. The protesters have gathered at the intersection of Sheikh Rihan's Street and al-Qasr al-Aini Street near the concrete barrier that was erected in November last year during violent clashes near Tahrir Square. Clashes erupted on Thursday between demonstrators and security forces in al-Qasr al-Aini Street after some protesters had attempted to remove concrete blocks from the cement wall in the street. Sixteen people were injured in yesterday's clashes according to a Ministry of Health statement. Activists and observers reported that protesters were hurling stones at police near a new concrete wall on the main Qasr el-Aini street leading to the square as police fired tear gas at the protesters to disperse them. It comes after clashes erupted on Thursday after protesters took down the same barrier earlier in the day. Egyptian protesters tore down a wall leading from central Cairo's Tahrir Square to the two houses of Parliament and begun clashing with police near the Shoura Council, or Upper House of Parliament. It came after small skirmishes between activists and police occurred earlier on Thursday on Qasr el-Aini street in downtown Cairo, spurring the military to erect yet another concrete barrier on the main thoroughfare. Riot police used tear gas in an effort to disperse the protesters near the parliament building. By evening, the military was already rebuilding the wall taken down by the activists. Medical teams and ambulances are now stationed outside the square as tension fills the air on the second anniversary of the revolution that ousted Mubarak. Many activists tell Bikyanews.com that the goals of the revolution have not been fulfilled and accused the Muslim Brotherhood and President Mohamed Morsi of usurping the ideas of the revolution to fit their own Islamic agenda. BN
