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Monday
Jan032011

Egypt Round-up: Sunday's Protests --- And What Might Happen Today

2130 GMT: There is a steady stream of reports via social media of protests in the Shubra area of Cairo tonight, with renewed clashes with police.

1400 GMT: Minister of Information Anas al-Fiqqi has urged private television channels to heed objectivity and avoid inflammatory coverage when reporting on the Alexandria bomb.

Al-Fiqqi insisted that "nationalist dimensions" should be the focus of reports.

1330 GMT: Video has been posted from Saturday of scenes at the hospital receiving bomb victims, with doctors claiming "50 bodies on the streets...besides the one stored in the hospital".

1315 GMT: There were so much news coming in from Egypt on Sunday about demonstrations that it was hard to keep up. So here's a summary of what happened yesterday and what might be in store today....

In Cairo, angry Christians threw stones at the Minister for Economic Development, Osman Mohamed Osman, as he was offering his condolences for the Alexandria bombing.

Osman came to visit the leader of the Coptic Church, Pope Shenouda III, in St. Mark's Cathedral, but hundreds of worshippers gathered inside the gates and heckled officials. The crowd spilled into nearby streets, stopping cars.

Earlier in the day, more protesters had tried to surround the Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmed al-Tayeb, Egypt's top Muslim cleric, and banged on his car after he saw Pope Shenouda. There are also reports that stones were thrown at al-Tayeb and Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa as well as Osman.

Authorities claim 45 policemen were wounded in the skirmishes at the cathedral. Fifteen protestors were reportedly wounded.

Hundreds of Copts demonstrated in front of Nile Towers mall on Kornish el-Nil, chanting, "With our souls and blood, we save the Cross." The rally moved toward the Foreign Ministry and the adjacent headquarters of Egyptian State Radio and TV. Protestors tried to get into the television headquarters but were blocked by police. Clashes continued as they moved towards Imbaba.

About 4,000 Coptic garbage collectors went on strike on the Autostrad highway, throwing stones and empty bottles on the street.

In Al-Qiddissine church in Alexandria, near the site of Saturday's bomb, the congregation chanted the same slogan at prayers while expressing sentiments such as "Why do they have to break our hearts at every festival?". Several hundred protesters gathered outside the church and set fire to garbage bins after police prevented them from joining the congregation.

Demonstrations continued in Cairo last night, protesting the Alexandria bomb and expressing sympathy with protestors in Tunisia complaining about economic conditions. Police penned in a group of demonstrators, "kettling" them (as in raising a kettle to boiling point), leading to further clashes.

There is chatter on social media today that there will be a further protest in the Shubra neighbourhood of Cairo at 5 p.m. local time. Leaves for policemen have been cancelled.

Pope Shenouda III said on Sunday that he will lead Coptic Christmas mass on the night of 6 January: “Everything will go normally."

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