Egypt: Army Removes Protesters From Tahrir Square

Scuffles and stone-throwing reported in Cairo’s Tahrir Square on Saturday as Egypt’s military chief of staff Sami Anan was to meet party leaders a day after protesters in the square demanded reforms.

Anan invited a range of leaders including from the Muslim Brotherhood and the liberal Wafd to talk, the state-owned Al-Ahram newspaper reported. On Friday, thousands flocked to Tahrir to demand an end to military trials of civilians, cleansing institutions of former regime elements, amendment of a recently published electoral law and social justice.

On Saturday protesters said they would stay in the square until their demands are met but they were removed by security forces and troops, the official MENA news agency reported. It said several arrests were made after protesters refused to move.

Around a dozen protesters had been detained on Friday after some 300 tried to head to the defense ministry but were blocked by military police.