More than 1,000 defy Egypt army order to leave square

Protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square call for quick move to civilian rule and a deeper purge of corrupt officials.

By REUTERS

APRIL 10, 2011 14:28

Pro-democracy protesters gather in Tahrir Square 311 Reut (photo credit: Peter Andrews / Reuters) — Pro-democracy protesters gather in Tahrir Square 311 Reut

(photo credit: Peter Andrews / Reuters)

CAIRO - More than 1,000 protesters ignored an army order to leave Cairo's main square on Sunday, taking their calls for a quick move to civilian rule and a deeper purge of corrupt officials into a third day.

Barbed wire blocked roads into Tahrir Square, the epicenter of the protests that toppled President Hosni Mubarak on Feb. 11.

Protesters cried "revolution, revolution" and brandished an effigy of Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, who heads the military council now ruling Egypt and is also defense minister.

"What is wanted is a civilian council," read one slogan. Another said: "Topple the Minister of Defense."

Medical sources said 13 men were wounded by gunfire and two had died on Friday night during the biggest rally since Feb. 18, when millions turned out across Egypt to celebrate Mubarak's downfall.

In scenes reminiscent of the protests that brought down Mubarak, soldiers and police used tasers and batons to try to drive the protesters out of Tahrir.

After failing to remove all of them, the army backed out of the square.

There was little security presence in the square on Sunday morning. A burnt out vehicle crouched as a reminder of the violence and men were sweeping rubbish into piles.