CAIRO: Fifty-three were injured during clashes between anti- and pro-Mubarak protesters outside the police academy in which the trial of the former president was held on Wednesday. Central Security Forces (CSF) separated both sides but the stone throwing continued. The scuffles, which started more than an hour before the trial began, came to an end after the group of 50 pro-Mubarak protesters were evacuated from the area in front of the TV screen on which the trial was shown. Clashes began when a fight erupted between two protestors which escalated into mass stone-throwing between both sides which police forces failed to contain, leading to the resumption of the clashes. Pro-Mubarak supporters then stationed themselves in front of the screen raising their banners praising Mubarak and refusing his "humiliation". They put two banners in front of the screen which angered anti-Mubarak supporters and the clashes resumed. CSF surrounded both groups but clashes broke out again as the trial approached and as anti-Mubarak protestors wanted to bring down the banners. Pro-Mubarak protestors were pushed into a side area by CSF. Protestors tore Mubarak's pictures down and replaced them with posters mocking him and raised a banner with pictures of the martyrs. Minor clashes then occurred during the trial in which a young boy was injured and a number of cars had their windshields smashed. Mubarak supporters said that they refused "the humiliation of the symbol of the nation" and were skeptical of the fairness of the trial. "The media is leading a conspiracy against him, his doctor was prevented from coming, and his lawyer has been receiving threats," said Dalia Saleh, an engineer who was among the pro-Mubarak protestors. "We hope it is a fair trial and the judge won't be affected by this campaign and we will accept his ruling whatever it is," she added. Holding pictures of martyrs, anti-Mubarak protestors demanded the ousted president be executed.
