Egypt: protesters clash near US embassy

Violent clashes broke out near the American Embassy Cairo Cairo – Akram Ali / Mohammed El-Shennawi Violent clashes broke out between two groups of protesters on Friday near the American Embassy in Cairo, just a few metres away from Tahrir Square, resulting in minor injuries for many, according to eyewitnesses.
By Friday evening, clashes were still going on and army personnel had arrived on the scene.
Earlier, one group of protesters was demonstrating near the embassy against what they described as "the American interference in Egypt’s internal affairs", hinting at the sudden lift of a travel ban on the foreigners involved in the NGO trial to allow them to leave the country.
This first group of protesters was joined later in the afternoon by Tawfiq Okasha, owner of Al-Faraeen satellite channel and of its main TV host, who is generally known to support Egypt’s ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), while he publically vilifies anti-SCAF protesters.
Meanwhile, protesters in Tahrir Square were commemorating the first anniversary of the March 9 clashes, when the army and security forces violently broke up a sit-in and arrested  activists and subjected women to forced virginity tests.
The news of Okasha’s arrival inflamed many of Tahrir protesters, who headed to the embassy to voice their objection. At first, minor skirmishes broke out between the two sides, but later in the evening, clashes were reignited and escalated to rock throwing, resulting in minor injuries.
Okasha addressed protesters near the embassy saying: “The American ambassador was trained by  American intelligence" adding  "The United States plans to increase the number of Arab countries from 22 to 44, by dividing their territory”.
Okasha’s supporters demanded the deportation of the US ambassador, chanting: “We want the ambassador out of our country and we support the SCAF,” and “Field Marshal Tantawi, deport the American ambassador to Israel” and “We don’t need  American aid”.
Back in Tahrir, the epicentre of protests that ousted Hosni Mubarak in February 2011, the situation was peaceful as hundreds gathered, denouncing SCAF violations over the past year and saying: “We won’t forgive a year of military abuses”.
Protesters chanted: “Down with the military rule,” demanding again that the army generals hand over power to a civilian authority.
Earlier in the day, after Friday prayers, a group of protesters marched from Mostafa Mahmoud Mosque to Tahrir. Minor scuffles broke out with SCAF supporters; however, they quickly came to an end, as Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, the most powerful party in Egypt's first  post-Mubarak parliament, withdrew confidence from SCAF-appointed el-Ganzouri government, and despite some argued that they do not have the authority to do so.
The march, which is part of the "We Will Not Forget" campaign, set out from Tahrir Square following Friday prayers at the Mostafa Mahmoud Mosque. Marchers held banners carrying slogans against Egypt's ruling military council, together with yellow balloons with the names of civilians detained by the military.
 In addition for cries for an end to military tribunals for civilians, marchers demanded that the soldiers who conducted "virginity tests" on women be held accountable for their actions.
The "No to Military Trials" campaign, Youth for Freedom and Justice, and the April 6 Youth Movement were among the movements and coalitions that participated in the Friday's march.
Meanwhile, an Egyptian parliamentary campaign aimed at withdrawing confidence from the incumbent government of Egyptian Prime Minister Kamal El-Ganzouri, according to parliamentary sources. The same sources added that various Egyptian political forces are coordinating their positions, hoping to sink the government via parliamentary channels.
El-Ganzouri, the same sources noted, utterly failed to gain the confidence of Egyptian political parties in his last statement before parliament two weeks ago.
Counselor Mahmoud Al-Khodeiri, Chairman of the Legislative Committee of Egyptian People’s Assembly (PA), said that the PA will soon start the proceedings to withdraw confidence on Ganzouri’s government. He added that questioning sessions have been booked, 10 of which are scheduled to take place within the next week, with the PA giving Ministers the opportunity to prepare their responses.
Khodeiri explained that, as soon as the government provides its answers, the PA will have the right to start a vote of no confidence.
The chief judge pointed out that if the PA withdraws confidence, next week, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) will not have the right to overturn the resolution.
On Thursday, Muslim Brotherhood leaders said the parliament is likely to declare it has lost confidence in the government of Prime Minister Kamal El-Ganzouri via a formal vote.
A successful vote of no-confidence in the government would have no legal force, as the parliament does not have the power to dismiss a prime minister under the current government’s system in Egypt. However, the vote would have a significant political weight.
Senior Muslim Brotherhood MP Essam El-Erian pointed out that the parliament would reject a policy statement presented by El-Ganzouri to the chamber in the future. "There is a move towards rejecting the government statement," El-Erian said in a brief phone interview with Reuters.
"The military should appoint a new government and should appoint the government that obtained the majority," he told Reuters.
He added that the government statement would be discussed in parliament within the next two weeks. Asked when the vote of no-confidence would take place, he added: "The withdrawal of confidence might happen in the same session, or before it, or after it."
On its front page, a newspaper run by the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party ran a headline saying: "The El-Ganzouri government is taking its final breaths."
For his part, Mohamed Beltagy, a Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party MP, said that the issue of withdrawing confidence from the government has forced every party in the political process to take its own responsibilities. He wondered whether the SCAF wishes to comply with the will of the people as represented in the parliament they chose in fair and free elections.
Beltagy demanded that there be a real will to get out of the crisis, explaining that the PA will only decide to withdraw confidence from the government, if it finds that it has no alternative, as the crises witnessed throughout the homeland, with the government unable to provide any way out.