Injuries rise in Tahrir clashes
  • 12 years ago
The casket of an Egyptian protester killed during clashes with security forces is carried through Cairo's Tahrir Square.
For four days activists calling for the end of military rule have been fighting riot police backed up by the army.
Tens of thousands of demonstrators have occupied Tahrir Square - focal point of the uprising which ousted Hosni Mubarak in February.
Most of the violence is centred on Mohamed Mahmoud Street, which offers strategic access to the Ministry of the Interior.
A motorbike delivers another casualty from the front line for treatment in one of the makeshift field hospitals which have sprung up in and around the square.
Doctors say that much of the medicine and other equipment has been donated by the Egyptian people.
(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DOCTOR AMR ZAKARAIA SAYING:
"The difference this time is that we have learnt how to be more organised, we now know how to face the challenges, we learnt not to allow the security forces to attack us, so we set up further back. We know what our needs are and which supplies we need. We prepare a day in advance."
Medical sources at Cairo's main morgue say 33 corpses have been received since Saturday, most with bullet wounds.
(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DOCTOR AMR ZAKARAIA SAYING:
"We see bullets in several parts of the body, either causing head injuries or they are in the chest or have penetrated the chest. The surgeons remove them. We also see bullets in the leg causing breaks in bones, which we take out and clean and stitch the wound and we do it all over again."
Activists have called for a million-man march on Tuedsay to up the ante on the military, who've been further challenged by the civilian cabinet submitting its resignation.
The army council has vowed to proceed with the country's first parliamentary election since Mubarak was overthrown, due to get under way on Monday.
But the violence in Cairo and numerous other cities around Egypt has thrown these plans into disarray.
Nick Rowlands, Reuters.