CAIRO - More than 200 Orthodox Coptic Christian hurled stones at police in a protest over what they said was the refusal of the authorities to let them finish building a new church, witnesses and security sources said. A security source said some 13 protesters were detained in scuffles in the Giza area of Cairo. Security and medical sources said several police and protesters were injured in the protest. Police fired tear gas to break up the demonstration. A security official and a medical source said one person was killed but did not confirm if it was a protester or an officer. Christians make up about 10 per cent of Egypt's 79 million population and often grumble about unfair treatment in the Muslim-majority country. The Coptic protestors blocked the road near the governor's office in the area. The church under construction is in Giza. Egyptian newspapers said the authorities had sought to stop work on the church because it did not have a permit. Christians said they did have permission and were continuing to work without machinery, which was being blocked from entering the site, the reports said.
