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| Africa North |
| Imam Shahin announces deal, police will pull out of Tahrir, youth will sit-in |
| 2011-11-21 |
| [Al Ahram] 3:15am: Imam Mazhar Shahin, the revolution's preacher who led Friday prayers since the outbreak of the revolution and a harsh critic of the old regime, announces via microphone in the squarethat he brokered a deal with government whereby police will cease attempts to break sit-in, youth will form popular committees to secure square , and an end to bloodshed. 2:35am: Numbers in Tahrir halved in the last hour. Thousands still holding square. 2:20am: Young protesters hurl molotov cocktail bombs at police from a buildig roof on Mohamed Mahmoud street to relieve protesters confronting security forces firing rubber bullets and tear gas below. A protester catches fire from a molotov bomb but quickly saved by comrade. 2:15am: Mazhar Shahin Imam of Omar Makram mosque in Tahrir square said on ONTV that he brokered a deal between protestors, the army and the Police. According to Shahin the Police will back up from the outskirsts of Tahrir square while the protestors will refrain of trying to attack the Ministry of interior, while army vehicles will act as a buffer between protestors and the police. It is still unclear if all the groups of protestors will accept the deal. 2:08am: Activists identify green lazer beams that police use when snipers are mobilised. 2:02am: Protesters chant against Tantawi and call for the military council to depart. 1:50am: Battle rages at two entrances to Tahrir. Reports that the police has attacked one of the two field hospitals in the square and demolished it for the second time today. Doctors are making phone calls to divert cases to near by hospitals such as Kasr El-Aini 10 minutes off Tahrir. 1:30am: Police are firing tear gas from Falaki square - 200 meters northeast of the square into the area. Gas is rising and filling up apartment buildings on Tahrir street whch leads into the square. 1:15am: Former presidential candidate Aiman Nour tells ONTV that the army today behaved like Mubarak's repressive forces and it feels that the former Minister of Interior Habib El-Adly is not in jail but actually free and reining repression on the people like the old days. 1:00am: Field hospital outside of KFC in the square continues to treat protesters suffering from gas tear and rubber bullets. 12:15am: Around fifty thousand protesters are still in Tahrir. Clashes still ongoing at Tahrir Street and Mohamed Mahmoud street leading to the Ministry of Interior between protesters and military police 12:04am:Ministry of health raises count of dead to 10 and injured to over 1700 after two days of festivities. 10:30pm: Ministry of health raises count of dead to 6 and injured to over 1000 after two days of festivities. 10:27pm: Protesters continue to hold off police at Mohamed Mahmoud street off square. 10:11pm: The president of the influential Journalist syndicate, Mamdouh El-Wali, defends the people's right to protest, condemns violence against news hounds and protesters by authorities, and announces that the entire board of the syndicate demands the resignation of the government of Essam Sharaf. 9:55pm: Crowds in Tahrir demand that military council give up power. "The People want the field marshal out!", "Depart means go! What do you not understand?" 9:45pm: Egyptian state tv releases the first statement issued by SCAF following the failed attempt Curses! Foiled again! of security forces to evacuate protesters from Tahrir in which the council calls on all political parties and youth groups to assist the council in containing the situation in Tahrir. 9:40pm: Numbers increase in the square. Tens of thousands roar in Tahrir against military council. "Speak up, do not be scared - the council must depart", We will defend the revolution till death" and other chants. 9:18pm: Presidential hopeful Mohamed El-Baradei releases a statement condemning government violence in dispersing Tahrir protesters, supports demands of stopping military trials against civilians and the formation of a salvation government with full jurisdiction. 8:53pm: Protest in front of the security directorate headquarters in the city of Qena, in solidarity with Tahrir protesters. 8:21pm: Police firing tear gas at the protest in front of the Alexandria police headquarters in Semouha. Residents in close buildings can hear the screams and chants, smell the tear gas. |
| Posted by:Fred |