Egypt's Coptic Christians turned their fury against the army after at least 25 people were killed when troops broke up a protest, deepening public doubts about the military's ability to steer the country peacefully towards democracy.
In the worst violence since Hosni Mubarak was ousted, armoured vehicles sped into a crowd late last night to crack down on a protest near Cairo's state television.
Online videos showed mangled bodies. Activists said some people were crushed by wheels.
Tension between Muslims and minority Coptic Christians has simmered for years but has worsened since the anti-Mubarak revolt, which gave freer rein to Salafist and other strict Islamist groups that the former president had repressed.
But much of the anger from yesterday’s violence targeted the army, accused by politicians from all sides of aggravating social tensions through a clumsy response to street violence and not giving a clear timetable for handing power to civilians.
Thousands marched from Cairo's main cathedral to the Coptic hospital today where most of the wounded were treated, calling for religious unity and the removal of the head of the ruling military council, Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi.
Church leaders called for three days of fasting "for peace to return to Egypt".
The military council told the interim government to investigate the clashes urgently and said it would take necessary measures to maintain security, state TV said.
