Egypt police tear gas Tahrir Square protesters

Last Updated 7:30 p.m. ET

CAIRO - Egyptian riot police firing tear gas and rubber bullets stormed into Cairo's Tahrir Square Saturday to dismantle a protest tent camp, setting off clashes that killed one protester, injured hundreds and raised tensions days before the first elections since Hosni Mubarak's ouster.

The scenes of protesters fighting with black-clad police forces were reminiscent of the 18-day uprising that forced an end to Mubarak's rule in February. Hundreds of protesters fought back, hurling stones and setting an armored police vehicle ablaze.

The violence raised fears of new unrest surrounding the parliamentary elections that are due to begin on Nov. 28. Public anger has risen over the slow pace of reforms and apparent attempts by Egypt's ruling generals to retain power over a future civilian government.

Witnesses said the clashes began when riot police dismantled a small tent camp set up to commemorate the hundreds of protesters killed in the uprising and attacked around 200 peaceful demonstrators who had camped in the square overnight in an attempt to restart a long-term sit-in there.

"Violence breeds violence," said Sahar Abdel-Mohsen, an engineer who joined in the protest after a call went out on Twitter urging people to come to Tahrir to defend against the police attacks. "We are tired of this and we are not leaving the square."

Protesters help a wounded man during clashes with Egyptian riot police in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Nov. 19, 2011.

/ AP Photo

Police fired rubber bullets, tear gas and beat protesters with batons, clearing the square at one point and pushing the fighting into surrounding side streets of downtown Cairo.

A 23-year-old protester died from a gunshot, said Health Ministry official Mohammed el-Sherbeni. At least 676 people were injured, he said.

Crowds swarmed an armored police truck, rocking it back and forth and setting it ablaze.

After nightfall, protesters swarmed back into the square in the thousands, setting tires ablaze in the street and filling the area with an acrid, black smoke screen. Police appeared to retreat to surrounding areas, leaving protesters free to retake and barricade themselves inside the square. The air was still thick with stinging tear gas.

Shortly before midnight, police pushed back toward the square, firing more tear gas and drawing a barrage of stones from the protesters holding the site.

The government urged protesters to clear the square.

A member of the military council, Gen. Mohsen el-Fangari, dismissed the protesters and said their calls for change ahead of the election were a threat to the state.

"What is the point of being in Tahrir?" he said, speaking by phone to the popular Al-Hayat TV channel. "What is the point of this strike, of the million marches? Aren't there legal channels to pursue demands in a way that won't impact Egypt ... internationally?"

"The aim of what is going on is to shake the backbone of the state, which is the armed forces."

In a warning, he said, "If security is not applied, we will implement the rule of law. Anyone who does wrong will pay for it."

A protester throws a tear gas grenade back at Egyptian riot police in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Nov. 19, 2011.

/ Khalil Hamra

Saturday's confrontation was one of the few since the uprising to involve police forces, which have largely stayed in the background while the military takes charge of security. There was no military presence in and around the square on Saturday.

The black-clad police were a hated symbol of Mubarak's regime.

"The people want to topple the regime," shouted enraged crowds, reviving the chant from the early days of the uprising. Crowds also screamed: "Riot police are thugs and thieves" and "Down with the Marshal," referring to Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, Egypt's military ruler.

Some of the wounded had blood streaming down their faces and many had to be carried out of the square by fellow protesters to waiting ambulances.

Human rights activists accused police of using excessive force.

One prominent activist, Malek Mostafa, lost his right eye from a rubber bullet, said Ghada Shahbender, a member of the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights.

At least four protesters were injured in the eyes as a result of what Shahbender said were orders to target protesters' heads.

"It is a crime," she said. "They were shooting rubber bullets directly at the heads. ... I heard an officer ordering his soldiers to aim for the head."

A videojournalist for the Egyptian newspaper Al-Masry al-Youm, Ahmed Abdel-Fatah, was also hit in the eye by a rubber bullet and was undergoing surgery.

Police arrested 18 people, state TV reported, describing the protesters as rioters.

Protests were also held Saturday in the Red Sea port city of Suez, where a crowd of thousands attacked a police station, with some hurling firebombs at the building, said protester Ahmed Khafagi. They were met with tear gas and gunfire.

In Alexandria, hundreds of people threw stones at the main security headquarters, said protester Ahmed Abdel-Qader. He said it felt like the revolution was starting all over again.

"We only managed to bring down the head of the regime. The rest of the tree is still standing," he said.

An Egyptian protester holds a sign reading "People want a civil presidential council" as tens of thousands of Egyptians take part in a rally in Cairo's landmark Tahrir Square on November 18, 2011 with the aim of pushing Egypt's ruling military to cede power, 10 months after an uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak's regime.

/ Getty Images

A day earlier, tens of thousands of Islamists and young activists had massed in Tahrir Square to protest Egypt's ruling military council, which took control of the country after Mubarak's ouster and has been harshly criticized for its oversight of the bumpy transition period.

Friday's crowd, the largest in months, was mobilized by the Muslim Brotherhood and focused its anger on a document drafted by the military that spells out guiding principles for a new constitution.

Under those guidelines, the military and its budget would be shielded from civilian oversight. An early version of it also said the military would appoint 80 members of the 100-person constitutional committee -- a move that would vastly diminish the new parliament's role.

Groups across the political spectrum rejected the document, calling it an attempt by the military to perpetuate its rule past the post-Mubarak transition. Back in February, the military had promised it would return to the country to civilian rule within six months. Now, there is deep uncertainty over the timeline, and presidential elections might not be held until 2013.

El-Fangary said if the plan in place is followed, the military will be out of power by the end of 2012.

Friday's demonstration dispersed peacefully, but several hundred people remained in the square overnight in an attempt to re-establish a semi-permanent presence in the square to pressure the military council.

Violence began Saturday morning, as police moved in to clear them.

The Interior Ministry, which runs the country's police forces, accused people of trying to escalate tensions ahead of the parliamentary elections, which will be held in stages that continue through March.

Activists say they just want to guard the outcome of their revolution.

Unemployed graduate student Nasser Ezzat said he traveled from southern Egypt to Tahrir because he wanted to help finish the revolution that people died for. He came to the square on Friday, leaving behind his a pregnant wife in the city of Sohag.

"I dream of a fairer Egypt for my unborn daughter, one without police harassment and corruption," he said on Saturday.

[kathyzhang2011]

Over years, no matter how many people struggled to obtain a life in peace and harmony, such goal we human have never reached. Riot, conflict has never taken a rest, no matter it is in more advanced countries, or in backward countries, the only difference is the different level that whether it's in a more civilized manner or in a violent way.
Many years ago people began to realize that human beings are one family, and many songs are singing such concept, but we never put it into action.
Truly, live as one global family is the only way we can find to establish a bright future.
If we see there's only one family, nowhere can escape to, we won't allow any family member suffer, because all other members will suffer too, since we all interconnected and interdependent.
To build up a good family, each member must follow the rule of mutual care, mutual responsibility, do everything to serve the family, for the benefit of all. If everyone in this world has such same value, I believe we will be able to see a reversed altruistic world in the future. There's no room for riot or conflict.

[morriswise]

The resources of Israel are human ones. Over one million Israeli Jews have mastered business mathamatics, they are ready to open up small shops in Arabia. They will make the desert bloom with Shekels.

[samXXkiley]

coucou,
post-revolutionary peace is very fragile in Egypt
protesters must stop this useless violence
those in power must keep their promises and stop procrastinating
"au revoir"

[irreverentasever]

Remember NEDA!

[robbyr1955]

Looks like Occupy Cairo is having problems with their police- who act much the same as ours'.

[realtimecoffee]

The biggest danger to OWS protesters is other OWS protesters.

[borysd]

Eventually the poor will overcome the rich by sheer numbers alone.

[realtimecoffee]

If by that you mean the rich will finally say enough is enough and move somewhere else and take their money with them then sure. Of course then the poor will have to resort to cannibalism to survive. This isn't the French Revolution. Nowadays there are helicopters to the airport and jets to paradise.

[sandiegopete]

Right wingers in Egypt are no different from the right wingers in the USA. All right wingers are determined to crush any effort by the popluation to instill democracy in their country. Like the right wingers in the U.S. the Egyptian military has control of a large amount of their nation's business activity and makes huge profits by controlling the government as well. Like the right wingers in the United States the Egyptian miliary lives in opulent splendor while the average citizen struggles to get by.

Look to Egypt America, for it is you.

[DebbieCorona]

Sounds like Cairo police have been listening to Bloomberg.

[Samlv]

The Muslim Brotherhood founded Hamas.

That is the group on the streets now. Watch the flags saying that the Koran is the law.

Why did we help a radical Islamic organization in Egypt?

Why did anyone think for one second that Egypt could just 'change' anyway?

What are the odds that the new boss is just like the old boss?

[realtimecoffee]

Or worse.

[askagain]

Samlv - There have to be reasons other than oil for previous administrations to be supportive of the leaders of various Middle Eastern countries instead of following a policy of overthrowing Middle Eastern leaders. We may be very sorry that we helped ferment these revolutions.