Egyptian troops used extreme violence to counter protests by the Christian Coptic community over the weekend. Reports claim dozens have been killed and hundreds injured.
State news media reported that at least three security officers had died in attacks by Christian protesters, though those accounts could not be confirmed. The protesters did not appear to be armed and they insisted they were peaceful until they were attacked.
In retaliation, military vehicles began driving into protesters, killing at least six…
Father Ephraim Magdy, a priest fleeing the tear gas, said he saw soldiers fire live bullets at protesters, and showed a journalist two bullet shells. “It is up to the military to explain what happened, but I see it as persecution,” he said. “I felt that they were monsters. It’s impossible for them to be Egyptians, let alone members of the army that protected the revolution.”
The violence is the worst the country has seen since the fall of Mubarak earlier this year.
The Guardian is providing continuous updates on this unfolding story.
