Fierce clashes have erupted between Christians protesting against a recent attack on a church and the Egyptian military, leaving at least 19 people dead and more than 150 injured, Health Ministry officials said.
In rioting outside the state television building along the Nile in Cairo, witnesses said some of the protesters may have snatched weapons from the soldiers and turned them on the military. The protesters also pelted the soldiers with rocks and bottles.
The clashes spread to nearby Tahrir Square and the area around it, drawing in thousands of people. They battled each other with rocks and firebombs, some tearing up paving for ammunition and others collecting stones in boxes. At one point, a group of youths with at least one riot policeman among them dragged a protester by his legs for a long distance.
The Christian protesters said their demonstration began as a peaceful attempt to sit in at the television building. But they said they came under attack from thugs in plain clothes.
"The protest was peaceful. We wanted to hold a sit-in, as usual," said Essam Khalili, a protester wearing a white shirt with a cross drawn on it. "Thugs attacked us and a military vehicle jumped over a sidewalk and ran over at least 10 people. I saw them."
Television footage of the riots showed some of the Coptic protesters attacking a soldier, while a priest tried to protect him.
Christians blame Egypt's ruling military council for being too lenient on those behind a spate of anti-Christian attacks since the ousting of Hosni Mubarak in February. As Egypt undergoes a chaotic power transition in the wake of this year's uprising, minority Christians are worried about the increasing show of force by the ultra-conservative Islamists.
The rally began in the Shubra district of northern Cairo, then headed to the state television building along the Nile where men in plainclothes attacked about a thousand Christian protesters as they chanted denunciations of Egypt's military rulers.
"The people want to topple the field marshal," the protesters yelled, referring to the head of the ruling military council, field marshal Hussein Tantawi. Some Muslim protesters later joined in the chant. Armed with sticks, they chased the Christian protesters from the TV building, banging metal street signsf. It was not immediately clear who the attackers were.
After hours of intense clashes, chants of "Muslims, Christians one hand, one hand" rang out, a call for a truce. The stone-throwing then died down.
Fierce clashes have erupted between Christians protesting against a recent attack on a church and the Egyptian military, leaving at least 19 people dead and more than 150 injured, Health Ministry officials said.
In rioting outside the state television building along the Nile in Cairo, witnesses said some of the protesters may have snatched weapons from the soldiers and turned them on the military. The protesters also pelted the soldiers with rocks and bottles.
The clashes spread to nearby Tahrir Square and the area around it, drawing in thousands of people. They battled each other with rocks and firebombs, some tearing up paving for ammunition and others collecting stones in boxes. At one point, a group of youths with at least one riot policeman among them dragged a protester by his legs for a long distance.
The Christian protesters said their demonstration began as a peaceful attempt to sit in at the television building. But they said they came under attack from thugs in plain clothes.
"The protest was peaceful. We wanted to hold a sit-in, as usual," said Essam Khalili, a protester wearing a white shirt with a cross drawn on it. "Thugs attacked us and a military vehicle jumped over a sidewalk and ran over at least 10 people. I saw them."
Television footage of the riots showed some of the Coptic protesters attacking a soldier, while a priest tried to protect him.
Christians blame Egypt's ruling military council for being too lenient on those behind a spate of anti-Christian attacks since the ousting of Hosni Mubarak in February. As Egypt undergoes a chaotic power transition in the wake of this year's uprising, minority Christians are worried about the increasing show of force by the ultra-conservative Islamists.
The rally began in the Shubra district of northern Cairo, then headed to the state television building along the Nile where men in plainclothes attacked about a thousand Christian protesters as they chanted denunciations of Egypt's military rulers.
"The people want to topple the field marshal," the protesters yelled, referring to the head of the ruling military council, field marshal Hussein Tantawi. Some Muslim protesters later joined in the chant. Armed with sticks, they chased the Christian protesters from the TV building, banging metal street signsf. It was not immediately clear who the attackers were.
After hours of intense clashes, chants of "Muslims, Christians one hand, one hand" rang out, a call for a truce. The stone-throwing then died down.