Egypt protests escalate as Anderson Cooper is beaten by mob

While covering the growing demonstrations in Cairo, Anderson Cooper was beaten as CNN crews were getting footage. On the streets of Cairo, pro-government and anti-government protesters have begun a series of ongoing brawls and outright mob warfare. Journalists are becoming targets of physical violence by pro-Mubarak demonstrators. There isn’t a cash advance large enough to get me over there just to write about the violence. I’ll stay safe on American earth.

Anderson Cooper beaten as CNN anchor

The NY Times accounts that anchor for CNN network Cooper was covering the street violence in Egypt when getting beaten. In order to cover the demonstrations, CNN sent Cooper to Cairo with a news crew. While in Tahrir Square in Cairo, anti-government and pro-government demonstrators engaged in gang-style street warfare. President Mubarak proponents have attacked several reporters and news crews which included Cooper getting hit 10 times in the head, although he didn't seem hurt in a later CNN broadcast.

The fight Tahrir Square faced

Many groups that are rivals have done demonstrations in Cairo. This has led to street violence happening. There was an Egyptian Museum looted last week. CNN reports that Tahrir Square near there has become a battlefield. Vehicles have been overturned to form makeshift barricades, and implements from rocks to Molotov cocktails have been hurled by either side in the clash. Several have felt the effects of tear gas. There have been shots as well. Many fires on buildings keep getting set. The Egyptian army has tried to stop them though. Everyone continues to be upset about President Mubarak's term even though he promises to step down at the end of his term this year.

Army in Egypt asks violence to end

There have been responses the Egyptian army has made. This has been to ask, accounts the Al Jazeera, the mobs to stop violent activity. A spokesman for the army, Ismail Etman, went on state television calling for individuals to return home and stop fighting. Etman looks at it like he was asking the “honest men of Egypt” to “look forward to the future.” The army stated the concerns the anti-government protesters have are valid. It also stated that force won’t be used to stop protests.

youtube.com/watch?v=4JJHYYvC3m0

Information from

New York Times

nytimes.com/2011/02/03/world/middleeast/03journalists.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

CNN

cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/02/02/egypt.protests/index.html?hpt=T1

Al Jazeera

english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/02/20112210516616914.html