(August 16, 2013)

As one of the protesters who used to camp at Rabaa Al-Adaweya pro-democracy, pro-legitimacy sit-in, I was there on Wednesday morning, when the putschists’ violent crackdown killed and injured thousands.

At about 6:00am (local Cairo time, or 4am GMT), a warning message on a loudspeaker in the square said that everybody should leave their tent and head to the center of the sit-in encampment. Everyone there felt this was a major emergency issue.

At approximately 6:30am, I started to experience some difficulty with the internet signal. I wandered in the vigil area trying to get a better signal.

At about 6:40, I was in the area behind Tiba Mall. There and then, I knew that a vicious attack had just started, as the entry of the sit-in was showered with a barrage of teargas bombs. Only minutes later, I saw the first protester rushing through the encampment, covered with blood that flowed from a severe wound in his right arm where much of the muscle had been blown away….