Violent clashes broke out near the American Embassy Cairo – Akram Ali / Mohammed El-Shennawi Violent clashes broke out between two groups of Egyptian protesters Friday near the American Embassy in Cairo, just meters away from Tahrir Square, with several minor injuries reported by eyewitnesses .
By evening, clashes were ongoing and army personnel had arrived on the scene.
Earlier, one group of protesters was demonstrating near the embassy against what they described as American interference in Egypt’s internal affairs, citing specifically the sudden lifting of a travel ban on foreigners involved in the NGO trial, allowing them to leave the country.
This group was joined in the afternoon by Tawfiq Okasha, owner of Al-Faraeen satellite channel and its main TV host, who is generally known to support Egypt’s ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces SCAF while publically vilifying anti-SCAF protesters.
Meanwhile, protesters in Tahrir Square were commemorating the anniversary of the day army and security forces violently broke up a sit-in on March 9 of last year, arresting activists and subjecting females to the now notorious forced virginity tests.
News of Okasha’s arrival infuriated some Tahrir protesters, who headed to the embassy to voice their objections. At first, minor skirmishes broke out between the two sides, but later in the evening, clashes were reignited and escalated to rock throwing, resulting in minor injuries.
Okasha had addressed protesters near the embassy, saying, “The American ambassador was trained by American Intelligence on America’s plan to divide the Arab countries. The United States plans to split Arab countries from 22 to 44.”
His supporters demanded the deportation of the US ambassador, chanting: “We want the ambassador out of our country and we support the SCAF,” “Field Marshal Tantawi, deport the American ambassador to Israel” and “We don’t need the American aid.”
Back in Tahrir, the epicenter of protests that ousted Hosni Mubarak in February 2011, the situation was peaceful as hundreds gathered, denouncing SCAF violations over the past year and saying, “We won’t forgive a year of military violations.”
Protesters chanted “Down with the military rule,” reiterating demands that the army generals hand over power to a civilian authority.
Earlier in the day after Friday prayers, a group of protesters marched from Mostafa Mahmoud Mosque to Tahrir. Minor scuffles broke out early on with SCAF supporters, but quickly came to an end, as Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, most powerful bloc in Egypt's first post-Mubarak parliament moved to withdraw confidence from SCAF-appointed El-Ganzouri government, despite assertions by some that it lacks authority to do so.
The march, part of the "We Will Not Forget" campaign, set out for Tahrir Square following Friday prayers at the Mostafa Mahmoud Mosque. Marchers held banners aloft bearing slogans against Egypt's ruling military council, along with yellow balloons bearing the names of civilians detained by the military.
Along with calling for an end to military tribunals for civilians, marchers also demanded that military personnel found guilty of conducting "virginity tests" on female activists be held accountable for their actions.  
Friday's march was timed to coincide with the first anniversary of last year's 9 March clashes in Tahrir Square, when military police violently broke up a peaceful sit-in and arrested scores of activists who were eventually referred to military courts after having been tortured.
Female activists among the detainees were reportedly subjected to "virginity tests" by army personnel, which later led to a media outcry and subsequent trial.
The "No to Military Trials" campaign, Youth for Freedom and Justice, and the April 6 Youth Movement were among the movements and coalitions that participated in Friday's march.
In another context, an Egyptian parliamentary campaign aimed at withdrawing confidence from the incumbent government of Egyptian Prime Minister Kamal El-Ganzouri can be expected next week, according to parliamentary sources. The same sources added that various Egyptian political forces are coordinating their positions in hopes of sinking the government via parliamentary channels.
El-Ganzouri, the same sources note, utterly failed to win the confidence of Egyptian political parties in his last statement before parliament two weeks ago.
Counselor Mahmoud Al-Khodeiri, Chairman of the Legislative Committee of Egyptian People’s Assembly (PA), said that the PA will begin – in the next few days – proceedings to withdraw confidence from Ganzouri’s government. He added that questioning sessions have been booked, with 10 of them scheduled to take place within the next week, with the PA giving Ministers the opportunity to prepare responses.
Khodeiri explained that, after the government has provided its answers, at the end of the questioning and discussions, and at the same session, the PA shall have the right to start a vote of no confidence, if 10 MPs submitted a request in this regard. He added that a vote of no-confidence is passed by a majority of the attendees of the session. If no majority is obtained, the result is considered a vote of renewed confidence in the government.
The chief judge pointed out that if the PA does withdraw confidence, next week, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) has no right to overturn this resolution.
On Thursday, Muslim Brotherhood leaders said the parliament is likely to declare it has lost confidence in the government of Prime Minister Kamal El-Ganzouri via a formal vote.
A successful vote of no-confidence in the government would have no legal force, as parliament does not have the power to dismiss a prime minister under Egypt's existing system of government. But it would carry significant political weight.
Senior Muslim Brotherhood MP Essam El-Erian indicated that parliament would reject a policy statement presented by El-Ganzouri to the chamber in the near future. "There is a move towards rejecting the government statement," El-Erian said in a brief phone interview with Reuter.
"The military should appoint a new government and should appoint the government that obtained the majority," he told Reuters.
He added that the government statement would be discussed in parliament within the next two weeks. Asked when a vote of no-confidence would happen, he added: "The withdrawal of confidence might happen in the same session, or before it, or after it."
On its front page, a newspaper run by the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party ran a headline declaring: "The El-Ganzouri government is taking its final breaths."
For his part, Mohamed Beltagy, a Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party MP, said that the issue of withdrawing confidence from the government has forced every party in the political process to shoulder its responsibilities. He wondered whether SCAF wishes to comply with the will of the people as represented in the parliament they chose in fair and free elections.
Beltagy demanded that there be a real will to get out of the crisis, explaining that the PA will only decide to withdraw confidence from the government, if it finds that it has no alternative, because of the crises witnessed throughout the homeland, with the government unable to provide any way out.