Egypt's military crackdown on Tahrir Square sit-in - in pictures

It was about 3pm when screams came out from Tahrir street. Protesters began knocking rocks and wooden sticks on the pavement while chanting: “Wake up people, armoured vehicles are coming.” Photograph: Maggie Osama/Flickr Photograph: Maggie Osama/Action images As I approached, I found lots of military police with sticks and armoured vehicles standing by. Photograph: Maggie Osama/Flickr Others were holding guns and rifles. Photograph: Maggie Osama/Flickr Protesters started to protect the square by facing military forces and preventing them from entering. They announced that they wouldn’t leave until they got all martyrs’ rights, or they would die here. Photograph: Maggie Osama/Flickr Brigadier General Mamdouh Abbas was present. The same man was also in Maspero and Abbassya. Photograph: Maggie Osama/Flickr After a few minutes, military police attacked protesters, beating some and arresting others. I managed to escape through a side street. Photograph: Maggie Osama/Flickr Photograph: Maggie Osama /Flickr Central Security Forces troops came through Muhammad Mahmoud street. Photograph: Maggie Osama/Flickr As soon as I reached the square, I found the armoured vehicles had already stormed it. They were firing their machine guns into the air, and some locals were cheering the army as the sit-in was being dispersed. Photograph: Maggie Osama/Flickr The military police knocked down tents of protesters in Tahrir Square. Photograph: Maggie Osama/Flickr