Al-Jazeera offices in Tahrir Square firebombed, gutted

Incident comes on third day of conflict between protesters and security forces in Cairo

CAIRO (AP) — Witnesses say Egyptian protesters have firebombed one of the offices of satellite broadcaster al-Jazeera in the third day of violence in central Cairo.

The protesters attacked the studio overlooking Tahrir square with Molotov cocktails and petrol bombs early Wednesday, leaving it gutted by fire hours later, witnesses said.

Disgruntled youth and security forces have been clashing in the area since Monday, with protesters hurling stones and firebombs and security forces firing birdshot and tear gas into the crowd. Some protesters had been accusing al-Jazeera of bias in support of the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt’s most powerful political force from which President Mohammed Morsi hails.

The protests started on the first anniversary of a previous street battle between police and demonstrators that left 42 protesters dead.