Police backed by the army charged protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square today using batons and firing teargas after demonstrators defied calls to leave and demanded the ruling generals swiftly hand power to civilians.
Egypt's ruling military council and the army-picked cabinet held an urgent meeting today to discuss the violence and ensure an election next week goes ahead on time, the cabinet said.
Cabinet spokesman Mohamed Hegazy told Reuters the meeting was to discuss "the political and security situation and the aftermath of the Tahrir Square confrontation and the effort to contain the situation."
The spokesman said the meeting would discuss steps to "calm down the street and create a conducive atmosphere towards the election."
Asked if the parliamentary election due to start on November 28th would go ahead as planned, he said: "We are all insisting on having the election on time - the government, parties and the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces."
Military police in riot gear fired tear gas at demonstrators in Cairo's Tahrir Square today, supporting police who had earlier tried to disperse a protest in the square without success, television images showed. Protests fled from the army police lines, many into side streets.
More than a dozen armoured personnel carriers also took up positions around Egypt's Interior Ministry, a focus for protester anger at heavy-handed police tactics used to try to break up a demonstration in central Cairo, a witness said.
Protesters demanding an end to army rule and angered by rough police tactics battled with police last night, presenting Egypt's ruling generals with their biggest security challenge yet, a week before parliamentary elections.
Two people were killed and hundreds wounded in late night clashes reminiscent of some of the worst violence during the 18-day uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak in February.
Youths in Cairo chanted "The people want to topple the regime" as they rushed at police, who fired rubber bullets and tear gas. Protesters clashed with police in two other cities.
Egypt holds its first parliamentary election since Mubarak's ouster in a staggered vote that starts on November 28th. Many Egyptians are worried that police will not be able to secure the polls, although the army insists it can.
Presidential powers remain with the army after the vote. A row has erupted between political groups and the army-picked cabinet over ground rules for drafting the constitution that could leave the military free of civilian control. Parliament is to pick the assembly to draw up the constitution.
Many Egyptians are angry that nine-months after ousting Mubarak, the army remains in charge, and police are still using the same heavy-handed tactics against demonstrators.
"We are on the brink of danger. Those asking for the government to fall are asking for the state to fall," Egyptian army Gen Mohsen Fangary told a television channel.
He said the election would go ahead on time and the army and Interior Ministry would maintain security. He also said the army, in line with a timetable previously announced, aimed to return to barracks by the end of 2012. Presidential elections could be held by then. Cabinet met today to discuss the violence.
Reuters