Thugs help army smash protest in Cairo

Troops broke up a protest by hundreds of people at the interior ministry in Cairo.

The building houses the security police, who are said to be destroying documents incriminating its officers in brutal repression during the presidency of Hosni Mubarak.

Men in plain clothes with swords and petrol bombs helped the soldiers.

The scenes evoked attacks on protesters in Tahrir Square by men claiming loyalty to Mubarak during the 18-day uprising that led to his downfall.

Since then, activists have pressed demands for deeper reform, including a major shake-up of the police.

Egyptian soldiers, on the streets since the start of the uprising, fired into the air for several minutes to disperse the protesters. As they ran, the protesters were confronted by men they described as thugs. The state news agency said the demonstrators were trying to break into the building.

A branch of the Interior Ministry, critics of the state security apparatus say it functions as a domestic spy agency.

Its networks penetrated deep into society, monitoring citizens and tapping phone lines. Emergency laws give its officers wide powers to act against government opponents.

In the last two days, protesters have broken into 11 offices belonging to the state security apparatus across the country, seizing documents which they feared would be destroyed by officers to cover up abuses perpetrated by the force.

"The army started firing in the air to disperse us," said Mohammed Fahmy. "We tried to run away but we were met by 200 thugs in plain clothes carrying sharp weapons on the other side," he said, putting the number of protesters at 2,000.

Fahmy said there were 15 injuries, none of them serious.

The military council which has ruled Egypt since Mubarak stepped down warned against publication of documents taken from state security offices and urged their return.