Egypt clashes continue into third day as army cracks down

By Dilip -

Troops and protesters are clashing for the third straight day in Cairo, pelting each other with rocks in skirmishes near parliament in the heart of the Egyptian capital.
At least 10 protesters have been killed and 441 wounded in the three days of violence which began when one of several hundred peaceful protesters staging a sit-in outside the cabinet offices was detained and beaten by troops. The protesters are demanding that the nation's ruling military immediately step down.
Egyptian army soldiers arrest a female protester during clashes at Tahrir Square, pulling up her head scarf and dragging her through the street. Photograph: Reuters
Sunday's clashes are taking place as unofficial results from a second round of voting in parliamentary elections show the continued dominance of Islamist parties at the polls. The third and final round of voting is slated for next month.
On Saturday, troops pulled women across the pavement by their hair, knocking off their headscarves. Young activists were kicked in the head until they lay motionless in Tahrir Square, Cairo. Unfazed by TV cameras catching every move, Egypt's military took a dramatically heavier hand to crush protests against its rule. The most sustained crackdown yet is possibly a sign that the generals who took power after Hosni Mubarak was ousted in February are confident that the Egyptian public is on its side after two rounds of parliamentary elections, and that Islamist parties winning the vote will stay out of the fight while pro-democracy protesters become more isolated.
Still, the generals risk turning more Egyptians against them, especially from outrage over the abuse of women. Photos and video posted online showed troops pulling up the shirt of one woman protester in a conservative headscarf, leaving her half-naked as they dragged her in the street.

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