Machine guns fired into Cairo's Tahrir Square

jpost ^ | 2/2/11 | JPOST.COM STAFF MELANIE LIDMAN

[Nachum]

600 reported injured, one killed in clashes; Pro-Mubarak rioters hurl Molotov Cocktails, rocks at opposition from surrounding buildings; protesters target Egyptian Museum.

Machine gunfire was heard on Wednesday night, shortly after Egyptian state television ordered all demonstrators to evacuate Cairo's Tahrir (Liberation) Square.

Al Jazeera reported that anti-government protesters remained in the square, chanting "Leave! Leave!" at Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, as ambulances were stationed in the area. Frequent gunfire was heard in the vicinity of the Egyptian Museum.

A spokesman from the Egyptian Health Ministry on Wednesday said that 600 people were injured and one man was killed in the recent round of clashes that erupted in central Cairo earlier in the day.

According to the report, the man who was killed was a "conscript" which means he could have belonged to the army or police.

[Nachum]

Obama: "All is well, all is well"

[Steely Tom]

Machine guns fired into Cairo's Tahrir Square.

Hoh boy.

[skeeter]

According to the report, the man who was killed was a "conscript" which means he could have belonged to the army or police.

Funny - all the violence is being perpetrated by pro-government forces on peaceful pro-democracy protestors yet the only person reported killed was a soldier.

[Frantzie]

I hope Anderson Cooper is alright.

[Leftism is Mentally Deranged]

So when it’s over, will any rational person be expecting a peace-loving, kind, tolerant, non-violent regime to emerge?

[JPG]

Well, Obama, now what? Do you ask the demonstrator's to disperse and go home or stay and get injured or killed? Well, which is it?

[Red_Devil 232]

The square was very active about an hour ago. muzzies moving in one direction against other muzzies and then the action would reverse in the opposit direction then the army started firing into the air and now the square seems rather calm. A few molotov cocktails streaming through the air and sporatic gun fire.

[muawiyah]

Watching TV coverage the rapid fire sounds came from two different sorts of devices ~ neither one a machine gun. The first was an ordinary rifle typical of the type issued to Egyptian Army personnel. It was fired semi-automatically without the Rock and Roll button flipped, but the user rapidly pulled the trigger. The automatic rate of fire is higher.

The second sound was that of a TEAR GAS GRENADE LAUNCHER. It's has a magazine and works semi-automatically. There are pictures of thousands of these devices on the internet. You'll hear a slower rate of fire with these guys than with any machine-gun, or even a modern assault rifle flipped for automatic fire.

They are slower; cheaply made; do the job; typical device found in riot control kits.

[Eye of Unk]

Just I little while ago I saw a protester trying to throw a molotov and it apparently set him on fire insytead.

[Pharmboy]

And Ashley whatever his last name is from FoxBiznews had the bejeesus scared outta him when his hotel room was invaded by the Mubarak folks...

[TruthShallSetYouFree]

Well, Obama, now what?

Obama: "Present!"

[Steely Tom]

Just I little while ago I saw a protester trying to throw a molotov and it apparently set him on fire insytead.

This is the muslim concept of alpha testing.

[Palladin]

Amateur!

[Red_Devil 232]

Obama ignores the protestors just like he ignored the Tea Party march on DC.

[Red Badger]

I hate it when that happens...............

[screaminsunshine]

Was he part of the Barak Obama Mob or the Mu Barak Mob?

[FourPeas]

Were the “machine guns” IDed by the same media that calls a 30-30 an assault rifle?

[Red_Devil 232]

Yep! I never heard any true automatic fire. Just rapid fire maybe from mutiple weapons and an occasional thump from the tear gas launchers.

[Lockbar]

[RummyChick]

Let’s be real. If the Tea Party was doing this same thing in the US..they would be shot or hauled off to jail. But in Egypt - well Kudos says the White House.