Egyptian military loses confidence of Christians

NY Times:

At least 23 people were killed Sunday when a protest by Egyptian Christians over the burning of a church escalated into rioting against military rule, with some protesters crushed to death by military vehicles and violence reaching levels not seen since the uprising that overthrew the president in February.

 The rioting took place against a backdrop of tension between protesters and the military, which has been in power since the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak, over the military’s continued postponement of its withdrawal from power. The protests were aimed at the military, both for its perceived failure to protect Coptic churches, and outrage over its prolonged rule, which a recently released timetable said could last into 2014.  

The rally began in the mostly Coptic neighborhood of Shubra early Sunday, fueled by anger over the burning of a church in Aswan, in southern Egypt, last week. 

Copts, members of Egypt’s Christian minority sect, and some Muslims marched to the Radio and Television Building, a skyscraper in downtown Cairo on the Nile River, where another sit-in was already being staged.   

Witnesses said that around 6 p.m., when the two protests converged, protesters and plainclothes security forces began throwing rocks at each other.
The security forces responded by driving their vehicles into the crowd. At least four Copts were run over and killed, witnesses said. 

In all, at least 23 people were killed, including two soldiers, and more than 150 were wounded, the government said.  

State television and radio broadcast a message asking “honest Egyptians” to come out of their homes and protect the security forces. 

Some Muslims who heeded the call clashed with the Coptic protesters, but many joined them in solidarity. By late evening thousands of people still on the streets engaged in sporadic clashes with hundreds of military police officers and security personnel.   

Some witnesses said that protesters had snatched weapons from the security forces, The Associated Press reported. Gunshots were heard before security forces fired tear gas, dispersing the crowd, and the army cordoned off the surrounding streets. 

The clashes left streets littered with shattered glass, stones, ashes and soot from burned vehicles, and hundreds of curious onlookers gathered at one of the bridges over the Nile nearby to watch. Television showed a group of Copts attacking a soldier, as a priest tried to protect the man. As ambulances rushed from the scene, a soldier was seen collapsing in tears, The A.P. reported.
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The military seems to be losing respect with other groups as well as the Christians who do not believe it is doing enough to protect them and their religious sites.  The reaction to this demonstration is unlikely to add to their confidence.  If the military does not do a better job, they should not be surprised if the Christians put together armed militias to guard their churches.