CAIRO: Upon entering Tahrir Square from Qasr al-Aini bridge on Wednesday night, there were street vendors and sellers offering cotton facemasks. A small barricade was set up where volunteers check the bags and national IDs of people going in. In the square, near Omar Makram Mosque, ambulances drive in single lines through the dusk, entering periodically to pick up those seriously injured in the ongoing clashes in Mohamed Mahmoud Street. Other demonstrators on motorcycles carry out the injured. Along the sidelines of the pavement, men hold up rope to keep the corridor clear of wandering people so ambulances and motorcycles can pass unimpeded. A van for blood donations was parked in front of Omar Makram Mosque, located at the edge of Tahrir Square, the epicenter of Egypt's January uprising. Volunteers told would-be donors that they ran out of bags to hold the blood, asking donors to leave their cell phone numbers and saying they would call once more bags arrive. However, half an hour later, the van was nowhere to be seen. Many other ambulances had taken its place. Makeshift tents were spread around different areas in the square. The more seriously injured were assisted closer to Mohamed Mahmoud St., while the less injured were sent to the outer edge of Tahrir Square. The atmosphere was tense. Most doctors or volunteers do not have time to talk to journalists or list supplies they might need, since there is always another injured person they must attend. Deeper still, at the entry of Mohamed Mahmoud St., the teargas thrown by Central Security Forces farther down the street creates the impression of a heavy fog, covering what is happening in the street. The sound of gunfire is evident; whether it is rubber bullets or live ammunition is unknown. There are waves of stampedes of people away from Mohamed Mahmoud St. when the teargas becomes unbearable. Later, when the furious protesters can breathe, they move back towards the street, chanting in anger, “The people want the execution of Field Marshal [Tantawi].” Hussein Tantawi is the chairman of Egypt's ruling military council. His speech on Tuesday evening fueled the anger of many protestors in Tahrir. At least 35 people have been killed and thousands injured since clashes began on Saturday morning. By mid-day Thursday there was a tentative truce, but it was unclear whether the truce would hold.
