CAIRO - Massive clashes raged yesterday in downtown Cairo, drawing Christians angry over a recent church attack, hard-line Muslims and Egyptian security forces. At least 24 people were killed and more than 200 injured in the worst sectarian violence since the uprising that ousted Hosni Mubarak in February.
The violence lasted late into the night, bringing out a deployment of more than 1,000 security forces and armored vehicles to defend the state television building along the Nile.
The clashes spread to nearby Tahrir Square, drawing thousands of people to the vast plaza that was the epicenter of the protests that ousted Mubarak. Last night, they battled with rocks and firebombs, some tearing up pavement for ammunition and others collecting stones in boxes.
