Egyptian Christians Condemn Junta After Weekend Killings

Outside Cairo Hospital, Protesters Demand Ouster of Tantawi

Protesters took to the area around a key Cairo hospital today, demanding the ouster of Field Marshal (and current junta leader) Mohamed Tantawi following weekend attacks on Christian protesters which left at least 26 people dead and over 300 others wounded.

The attacks came when protesters marched on a Cairo TV station to condemn the destruction of a Luxor-area church, which the governor insisted was “illegally built.” Security forces responded to the protests by driving vehicles into the crowds, crushing large numbers of people.

Following that, the state media began broadcasting calls for “honest Egyptians” to attack any Christians in the streets, leading to mobs of junta supporters attacking them with bats, causing a riot.

The Egyptian military rulers are now holding emergency talks with the Christian leadership, aiming to stem the growing international concern about the junta’s protracted control over the nation in the wake of a pro-democracy revolution.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.