NEWS AND VIEWS

"'Traitors'

A group of about 50 opposition activists from the Kifaya movement - a coalition of activists from left-wing, nationalist and Islamist backgrounds - gathered in central Cairo after being prevented by police from holding a demonstration outside the high court.

Pro-government supporters beat a member of the Kifaya movement in Cairo
NDP supporters set upon some opposition supporters
Our correspondent says the security forces pinned them against a wall, while a much larger crowd of NDP supporters chanted slogans accusing them of being traitors.

Activists who broke out of the security cordon were set upon and beaten up by the NDP supporters.

There were similar scenes on the stairs of the Journalists' Syndicate where Kifaya had called a press conference, but an estimated 150 NDP supporters armed with sticks broke through police lines and attacked them.

'It is the first time there is this amount of violence,' said one Kifaya member.

'Even though we are a small group, we are not being allowed to voice our view.'

She accused the security forces of allowing the NDP supporters to attack the demonstrators.

The movement says some 60 of its activists have been arrested."

# posted by R @ 9:46 PM