Cairo: A vibrant protest group Wednesday called for continued demonstrations across Egypt hours after police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse thousands of protesters in Al Tharir Square in central Cairo.
The 6th of April Movement urged Egyptians to take to the streets for the second day in a row to push for economic and political reforms, apparently building on unprecedented protests staged across this Arab nation of 80 million people on Tuesday.
Scores of protesters suffered suffocation and injuries when the police cracked down on them in Al Tahrir Square, where several vital state installations, are located. Dozens of protesters were arrested, according to eyewitnesses.
The Interior Ministry said in a statement that it had to disperse the protesters after learning they had planned to go on rioting and vandalise public buildings.. "No agitating movement or protests will be allowed," said the statement, warning that legal measures will be taken against violators.
Two protesters were killed in Suez, some 120km northeast of Cairo, and a policeman died of injuries in the Egyptian capital on Tuesday, according to security sources.
