8:20 pm: Ruling military council decides to replace police forces guarding the Ministry of Interior with military forces, reports Al Jazeera
8:09 pm: Fighting continues in Mohamed Mahmoud Street, where security forces are firing tear gas and birdshot. A firebomb hit the Greek Campus building, and ambulances rushed to retrieve the wounded. The crowd has cleared two lanes for ambulances, to handle traffic in both directions. Protestors have been setting off fireworks, to the cheers of the crowd, which has been trying to advance down Mohamed Mahmoud.
8:02 pm: Field Marshal Mohammed Hussein Tantawy approved the resignation of Prime Minister Essam Sharaf and promised to appoint a new cabinet to work closely with SCAF until the transitional period is over. He also vowed that parliamentary elections will be held on time, and that presidential elections will take place by July 2012. Tantawy added that SCAF is willing to hold a referendum on whether to send the army back to the barracks. He affirmed that the military has no interest in holding on to power, adding that it has showed consistent self-restraint despite mounting criticism. He praised the performance of the security forces, saying that there have been many improvements since the security void that followed the 25 January revolution. Tantawy dismissed criticism of SCAF as an attempt to “topple the state.”
As soon as the Field Marshal finished speaking, the crowd erupted in anger and started chanting, “Down with the Field Marshal!” and “Go to the square!” A number of protesters said that this scenario echoes the 18-day uprising against Hosni Mubarak. “It’s the same repetition, the same empty words,” said one middle aged man before rushing back to Tahrir. Another protester told Al-Masry Al-Youm that he expects another a major attack by armed civilians, similar to 2 February’s Battle of the Camel. “This is the card they’ll play,” he said, before heading back to the square.
6:45 pm: An official spokesman on Tuesday denied reports of a government-imposed curfew in response to the recent events in Tahrir Square and clashes taking place near the Interior Ministry.
The spokesman said that media reports of a curfew are false, and he called on all media outlets to strive for accuracy and avoid spreading rumors that may cause further unrest.
In Alexandria, Governor Osama al-Fouly on Tuesday denied that any curfew would be instituted, emphasizing that all executive agencies in Alexandria are functioning normally.
6:12 pm: Abou Elela Mady, chairman of the Wasat Party, has told the privately-owned Al-Hiya Al-Youm Channel that the meeting between the political forces and SCAF has
ended with SCAF agreeing to apologize for the violence in Tahrir. He added that some members of the civilian police and military police will be swiftly brought to trial.
The meeting also concluded that the parliamentary elections scheduled to take place on 28 November will occur without delay. Presidential elections will be conducted by the end of June, 2012, with the new president to be sworn into office in July. The meeting also reached agreement on the issue of forming a national salvation government with full authority. Finally, the political forces and SCAF agreed to stop violence against protesters and release everybody who has been detained since Saturday.
5:31 pm: The Euromediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN) on Monday condemned the targeting of peaceful protesters in Cairo with internationally banned gases. The Geneva-based group said it was rallying an international condemnation against these violations. The EMHRN strongly condemned the targeting of peaceful protestors by
the police and the armed forces as well as the use of excessive violence against them, leading to dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries.
In a statement on Monday, the EMHRN said the use of tear gas, live ammunition and snipers to disperse a peaceful sit-in was "unacceptable and fully against all
international norms and conventions." EMHRN Regional Director Amany al-Sinwar said that testimonies by several Egyptian activists described the use of an internationally
banned gas known as CR gas by security forces and the armed forces. She added that the EMHRN received similar testimonies of vomiting, paralysis and temporary loss of vision after exposure to the gas. Sinwar added that the EMHRN documented the use of this gas against protestors for the first time since the escalation of the peaceful
uprising on 25 January.
The EMHRN denounced this “serious violation against civilians by using internationally banned gas, which is classified as a being a carcinogenic and of being deadly when exposed to it for long periods of time.”
The 1993 Paris Convention on chemical warfare criminalized the use of such gases. The 1907 Hague Convention also prohibited the use of toxic warfare that results in torture, while the 1925 Geneva Protocol prohibits the use of asphyxiating and poisonous gases.
The EMHRN called on the leadership of Egypt’s police force and that of the Egyptian army to “immediately stop targeting civilians, and respect their right to peaceful sit-ins, while punishing those responsible for the crimes committed against them.”
5:25 pm: A security personnel from the Ministry of Interior has told Al-Masry Al-Youm that the army took responsibility for protecting the ministry headquarters, placing barricades and barbed wire around the headquarters.
The source added that the clashes have calmed down and police stopped firing tear gas against protestors.
However, Tahrir eyewitnesses told Al-Masry Al-Youm that clashes are still happening, especially in Mohamed Mahmoud Street.
5:20 pm: Eyewitnesses report that two army officers joined the protestors in Tahrir, chanting, “The people want to topple marshal.” Private satellite channel CBC has broadcasted this image.
5:10 pm: Eyewitnesses from Tahrir say that the presidential hopeful Hazem Salah Abu Ismail is in the square right now. Ismail was seen entering the square with supporters.
4:00 pm: Sherif Ramadan, 26, one of the protesters in Tahrir, said, " We want a government will full powers to replace the SCAF. It should be led by Tahrir revolutionaries, unlike Prime Minister Essam Sharaf's government which acts like a secretary to the SCAF."
Ramadan added that revolutionaries still insist that the SCAF leaves power after "failing to manage the transitional period."
Ramadan also said that Tahrir is open to all citizens and the success of the revolution is not dependent on the participation of any particular faction.
On Twitter, activists posted that supplies are needed for a field hospital located in front of the Mogamma administrative building. Mahmoud Saeed, 23, one of the voulteering field doctors, said the response was much better on Tuesday, with more supplies being sent.
Dozens of school and university students have also joined the protest. A student from Al-Orman Secondary school said he decided to join the protest after he saw a video depicting an officer firing cartridges at protesters, targeting their eyes.
11:30 am: Scores of protesters have taken to Tahrir Square in Cairo since Tuesday morning in preparation for a massive demonstration to demand the military hand over power to civilians.
Thousands spent the night in the square, which has been the focal point of protests since the uprising that had ousted Hosni Mubarak in February.
On Monday, a number of political groups called for a mass protest on Tuesday in Tahrir and other venues to urge the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) to hand over power to a national salvation government.
Meanwhile, clashes between protesters and security entered their fourth day, with security forces stationed at streets leading to the Interior Ministry. The encounters started on Saturday when police forces forcibly evacuated a sit-in by people injured in the 25 January revolution.
Protesters have been attacked with tear gas, shotgun pellets and live ammunition, which has led to at least 24 deaths, according to the Health Ministry.
Early Tuesday, riot police forces made a surprise attack on demonstrators with tear gas and cartridge shots on Mohamed Mahmoud Street.
Protesters erected barricades and prepared stone bricks to defend themselves against potential attacks.
Meanwhile, Jama'a al-Islamiya announced late Monday it will attend the mass demonstration at Tahrir Square in support of the revolution's youth. The Salafi-led Nour Party also announced its participation.
But the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's largest opposition group, said in a statement by its political arm, the Freedom and Justice Party, that it will not take part in any future protests to avoid provoking more tension.
Other political groups also announced their attendance, including the Egyptian Current Party, Socialist Popular Alliance Party, April 6 Youth Movement, Peaceful Change Front, Union of Revolutionary Youth, Egyptian Social Democratic Party, in addition to members of Hamdeen Sabbahi's presidential campaign.
Late Monday, the SCAF invited all political forces to an urgent meeting to discuss the reasons behind the current situation and solutions for the crisis.
Protesters in Tahrir, on the other hand, insist on immediately handing over power to a civilian government and prosecuting military and police officials behind the killing of protesters.
This is an update to the story titled “Protesters head to Tahrir ahead of massive demonstration”. Pls add this update to the whole story we have on the website under the same title. Pls make ‘Omar Halawa’, the author
Thousands of protesters on Tuesday headed to Tahrir to participate in the National Salvation rally called for by 38 political powers on Monday to pressure the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces to hand over power to civilians.
The protesters said they insist on their demand that the SCAF relinquish power to a national salvation government of Tahrir revolutionaries.
