Police fire teargas to drive protesters out of Cairo's Tahrir Square

PanARMENIAN.Net - Egyptian police fired teargas to drive protesters out of Cairo's Tahrir Square on Tuesday, November 19 breaking up a demonstration commemorating 42 protesters killed two years ago while opposing the government that took power after Hosni Mubarak's downfall, according to Reuters.

The rally was aimed against people the protesters felt had "betrayed" the revolution - Mubarak loyalists, the military council that ruled for 17 months after his fall and the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood which won subsequent elections but was ousted by the military in July.

But many in the crowd voiced their desire to overthrow what they called the new "military junta", the government installed by the army after removing Islamist President Mohamed Mursi.

Several hundred riot police moved in shortly before midnight to clear the few dozen protesters still in Tahrir Square, a Reuters reporter said. Protesters threw rocks and fireworks but left the square shortly after the security forces moved in.

A security official said the police decided to clear the square after protesters had tried to storm the headquarters of the Arab League. The authorities would allow them to remain in nearby streets, the official added.

"Down with the military regime," the protesters chanted earlier in the day, a common refrain during the period of army-led government that followed Mubarak's downfall.

Supporters of army chief General Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, who promised stability and elections when he overthrew Mursi in July, also showed up at Tahrir but were chased away by activists.

The protesters said the goals of the uprising that toppled Mubarak in 2011 had not been met and accused the security forces of acting with impunity in the intervening two years.

Security forces have killed hundreds of Muslim Brotherhood members since Mursi was toppled. Thousands have been arrested and the group has been outlawed.

"I am not for the Brotherhood. But I sympathize with them because of what happened at Rabaa," said high school student Salma, referring to a pro-Mursi protest camp in Cairo that was crushed by security forces in August.

"It was a horrible massacre. There was more freedom under Mursi."