Egyptian anti-government activists clashed with police for a second day Wednesday in defiance of an official ban on any protests. Beefed up police forces on the streets quickly moved in and used tear gas and beatings to disperse any demonstrations.
Security officials said a total of 860 protesters have been rounded up nationwide since Tuesday, when thousands turned out for the largest protests in Egypt in years — inspired by the uprising in Tunisia.
They demanded President Hosni Mubarak’s ouster and a solution to poverty, rising prices and unemployment. After nightfall Wednesday, more than 2,000 demonstrators were marching on a major boulevard along the Nile when dozens of riot police personnel with helmets and shields charged the crowd. —AP