Friday, March 4, 2011

The Revolution is Far From Over: Violent clashes in Alexandria


Protesters lay siege to state security building, leading to violent standoff in which police fire on demonstrators.

Al-Jazeera

"Around 1,500 protesters have stormed Alexandria's state security headquarters after earlier clashes with police, gaining control of its lower floors and driving police officers to hide in the upper floors of the building, witnesses and protesters told Al Jazeera.

Hundreds of the protesters stormed the building on Friday night, after petrol bombs and gunfire were reported as emanating from within the building.

One witness said that demonstrators had smashed pieces of furniture on the ground floor of the building, adding that army troops were guarding the upper floors of the four-storey building.

Ahmed Hatem, a protester on the scene, said that the army had told demonstrators that they had orders to arrest the members of the state security agency, but that they would not do so unless they could guarantee that the arrests could be made safely.

Hatem said the army had been "rather cooperative with the demonstrators".

He said that security officers had used live ammunition and petrol bombs to try and disperse protesters, seriously injuring at least two people. The Associated Press, quoting a medic, put that number at three....."

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