Protestors destroy military wall in Cairo

Dozens of protesters gathered Friday at the military-erected wall on Qasr al-Aini Street in downtown Cairo, who managed to break down a portion of the wall as they chantied slogans against the ruling military council. A number of protesters called for an initiative using the slogan "No to Wall", aimed at demolishing the structure. Members of the  No to Wall campaign, which represents a broad range of the political spectrum, started to dismantle the second tier of the concrete structure. Some protesters stood on top of the wall, smashing the massive bricks with hammers and iron bars. Others tied ropes around the bricks to remove them. When protesters began the demolition early Friday evening, there were no security forces present in the area. Within hours, cordons of security forces wearing helmets arrived on the scene and were only separated from the protesters by a barbed wire fence. Reports indicated that more forces were amassing at the nearby Interior Ministry. Protesters claimed that the move was initiated by activists with no political affiliations, and wanted to ease peoples’ lives, as well as the traffic problems that have been caused by the walls throughout the downtown area. Meanwhile, various political movements issued statements denouncing these acts. Witnesses said those who broke the concrete barrier are part of the Ultras group. However the Ultras have denied these rumours. A number of youths, some no more than 13 years old, dismantled parts of the wall and shone laser beam torches in the eyes of the security men, according to witnesses. It is being reported that there are clashes taking place between protesters and the armed forces in front of the Shura Council and People's Assembly. The Armed forces have erected at least three such security wall in the city since last December’s clashes. The walls have seriously disrupted traffic flow in Cairo’s crowded city centre.