Pro-Mubarak Forces Attack Protesters in Cairo

Egypt's 'Transition' Less Orderly Than Ever
by Jason Ditz, February 02, 2011
Antiwar.com
Feb. 03, 2011

Anger forces loyal to Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak have taken to the streets of Cairo tonight, attacking protesters on horseback and lobbing molotov cocktails into the crowd. Large numbers of injuries have been reported, but of course amidst the chaos no reliable figures have been released.

Though it is as-yet unclear where the sudden surge of armed Mubarak-backers came from most analysts agree that it was not an impromptu show of support and was probably directly coordinately by the president as his latest answer to the military refusing to crush the protesters.

In addition to attacking the crowds, there have been multiple reports of the Mubarak forces attacking journalists in Tahrir Square, venting their frustration at the growing coverage of the uprising against the president-for-life.

Mubarak had been seeking to tamp down the protests with promises that he would not participate in September elections. This does not appear to have satisfied the protesters, however, and only added to the calls for him to leave immediately. With the promises now giving way to violence against the protesters those calls are likely to only escalate more.