The crowd demanded President Mohamed Morsi’s departure, as a number of Copts and activists announced that they would march to the Ministry of Defense, after the funeral, to call upon the army to protect Egypt’s Coptic citizens.
The prayers, which were lead by H.G. Bishop Boutros, Metropolitan of Al-Qanater, witnessed a state of immense grief amid the attendance of many Christians and Muslim opposition politicians and activists.
After the prayers, Coptic demonstrators protested the deaths, chanting slogans against the Brotherhood, Salafis and the Morsi Administration.
A number of Copts and activists planned to head to the Ministry of Defense to demand the army’s intervention to protect Copts, carrying a written letter to Minister of Defense Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sessi, which read, “Copts’ blood is spilled not because of a guilt they committed or a wrong-doing to their country, but because of their religious identity.”
“The past six months have witnessed persecution and discrimination against Copts that are unrivalled, compared to the past 30 years,” the letter continued.
Once out of the cathedral, several unidentified persons, including “thugs,” who seemed to have been waiting ready, attacked the Coptic protesters and funeral attendees with rocks, fire bottles and some live birdshots.
Political activist Alaa Abdel-Fattah, who was present at the scene, said that the police were to blame for this incident, by not protecting the Copts as they exited from the cathedral and then later retreating, leaving “the Brotherhood’s thugs” to deal with the Copts.
Attempts were made by (Muslim) activists Abdel-Fattah, Sami el-Ghazali Harb and others to contain the situation but in vain.
Later, Central Security Forces blocked the cathedral main gate, thus preventing hundreds of Copts, including women and children, from leaving.
A number of thugs had climbed a gas station’s wall, adjacent to the cathedral, and fired birdshots at Copts trapped inside.
Witnesses said the aggressors were sheltering behind the Central Security Forces standing outside of the gates, who appeared to be protecting these thugs, idly witnessing the cathedral being assaulted by stones.
“The security forces didn’t only stand and watch the Copts being assaulted,” witnesses said. “But even fired tear gas at Copts inside the cathedral rather than prevent the attacks coming from outside.”
Police forces have used at least eight tear gas canisters, four of which landed inside the papal residence and on top of it, with three others falling inside the cathedral’s front yard. Dozens of people struggled to breathe because of the continued use of tear gas.
Echoes of gunshots and empty shells continued across the Cathedral’s compound, while women and children entered the Saint Rowais Church to pray.
A number of Copts set fire to tires inside the Cathedral’s yard in order to minimize the impact of the tear gas amidst the uncalled for continuation of firing tear gas.
By the evening, Coptic casualties included one killed, 66 hospitalized, and scores being treated in a makeshift hospital in the Cathedral’s yard.
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Edited from dispatches by MCN and OnTV interviews