Egyptian soldier at Tahrir square, and top left activist Nisreen Yousef Cairo – Akram Ali A large number of political and rights activists criticized Friday’s Tahrir square incident, which witnessed a large number of security forces attacking civilians who were having a group breakfast, which was planned for weeks ago, in the square. The activists called for a march on Wednesday,  the tenth day of Ramadan, as a reminder to the army of the 1973 war, which took place on the same day (10th October), and as a reminder to them of their real role which is “defending and protecting Egypt,” affirming that the army would not abrade peaceful protestors calling for liberty. They also said that protestors, who will be chanting “your role is to protect me not to remove me,” will perform Taraweh prayers in all over the squares in Egypt, including Tahrir square.
 Presidential candidate Ayman Nour tweeted: “Breaking up the group breakfast and attacking civilians last Friday has no excuse; as civilians confirmed their departure from the square after breakfast without intention of any protesting.”
Security forces surrounded and were inside the square which were more like military troops as 500 soldiers were present and only 100 civilians were there for the group breakfast. Witnesses told Arabstoday that military police forces chased civilians out onto the streets surrounding the mosque and square and beat them up with sticks and electric batons, up to the entrance of Amr Karam mosque where worshippers inside the mosque came to their rescue. The forces imposed a security blockade around the square last Friday morning in an attempt to prevent any further protests.
Witnesses added that the forces captured a political activist named Nisreen Yousef and dragged her across the floor to a spot away from other civilians, then assaulting her by heavily beating her and causing her serious head injury, as she was present at the group breakfast and stood there afterwards condemning the use of violence on civilians. Additionally, the forces assaulted journalist Zainab Alaskari, who was also there at the breakfast, for no apparent reason.