BBC News - Fighting erupts in Cairo's Tahrir square

2 February 2011 Last updated at 15:33 GMT

Clashes erupt amid Cairo protests


Click to play
The BBC's Jeremy Bowen: "There is a lot of violence, I've seen people with some really ugly wounds"


Clashes have erupted in the Egyptian capital between supporters of President Hosni Mubarak and demonstrators calling on him to step down immediately.

Rival groups of protesters are fighting pitched battles in and around Cairo's Tahrir Square. Several people have been wounded and shots have been heard.

Earlier, the army urged people to return home after nine days of anti-government demonstrations.

Mr Mubarak has pledged he will not stand for re-election in September.

On Tuesday, hundreds of thousands had protested across the country against Mr Mubarak, the culmination of more than a week of demonstrations that have left about 300 people dead according to UN estimates.

Counter-protests

Up to 2,000 anti-Mubarak demonstrators saw out a cold night in Tahrir Square, the main focus of the protests, saying the president's pledge was insufficient and chanting: "We will not leave!" They want to see him deposed and punished.

But on Wednesday, thousands of supporters of President Mubarak surged into the square, dismantling barricades.

"You guys have made your point clear, let the man (Mubarak) take care of you until his time is up. Mubarak wants stability and we want stability as well," said Mohamed Shafik.

"Let Egyptians go home and look after their families," the 51-year-old pharmacist told Reuters news agency.

Television footage showed opposing groups facing off, chanting slogans. They later hurled stones at each other and fought with stick and bottles. Some government supporters rode horses and camels and wielded whips.

Gunfire was heard. Some reports say troops fired warning shots to disperse the crowds.

But Ibrahim Zadran, co-ordinator of the opposition National Association for Change, told the BBC that some pro-government activists had used firearms and shot 15 protesters.

BBC Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen, who is in Tahrir Square, said the clashes were becoming increasingly violent and he had seen people with nasty wounds.

The anti-Mubarak protesters have been accusing the army of moving aside to let in their pro-government rivals.

The troops guarding the square have not intervened. The crowds of protesters began to thin after the fighting broke out.

Clashes between the rival groups were also reported in Egypt's second city, Alexandria.

'Not enough'

The violence triggered condemnation from British Prime Minister David Cameron.

"If it turns out that the regime in any way has sponsored or tolerated this violence, that is completely unacceptable," he said after meeting UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in London.

In its earlier statement, the army called for demonstrators to return to their homes.

"Your message has arrived, your demands became known... you are capable of bringing normal life to Egypt," said a spokesman in a message broadcast on state television.

In Tuesday night's speech, Mr Mubarak had promised to leave at the next polls, and pledged constitutional reform, saying he would devote his remaining time in power to ensuring a peaceful transition to his successor.

US President Barack Obama responded by saying an orderly transition "must begin now", while Turkey's PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Mr Mubarak should take a "different step".

Opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei dismissed Mr Mubarak's move as "a trick" to stay in power, and Tahrir Square protesters have vowed to continue their demonstrations until Mr Mubarak quits.

Abdelhalim Kandil, leader of Egypt's Kifaya (Enough) opposition movement, said Mr Mubarak's offer not to serve a sixth term was not enough.

"I will tell you very simply that there is an unprecedented popular movement that rejects the presence of the president on a scope that has not been seen before, that is calling for the will of the people to be imposed," he said.

If Mr Mubarak does not step down, demonstrators have planned to march on the presidential palace.

Meanwhile, internet services were reportedly returning to the country, having been cut off for days by the government.

State television also reported an easing of a nationwide curfew - with restricted hours from 1700-0700 (1500-0500GMT) rather than 1500-0800.

State media reported that parliament had been suspended until the results of last year's contested elections were revised.

It added that the parliamentary speaker had called for Mr Mubarak's proposed constitutional reforms to be implemented within two-and-a-half months.



At the scene


Ian Pannell,
BBC News, Cairo

We're in the middle of a very fluid situation - this is entirely dangerous, entirely provocative. Thousands of pro-Mubarak forces are now surging into Tahrir Square.

There was a cordon set up by the anti-Mubarak protesters to try and hold them back. The army were in the middle. They didn't take sides.

And basically there were too many of them. So they are now surging forward.

We've just seen one man being attacked - being kicked and punched and hit with a stick. And we've also seen protesters pulling down signs that are against President Mubarak.

There's a lot of anger on the streets at the moment, a lot of argument, fists are flying. And who knows where this will end.