An eyewitness has contradicted Al-Shorouk's account of Hazemoun supporters attacking the Borsa cafes Sunday, saying that the movement had nothing to do with the disturbances there.
Aman Singh, a resident of Cairo and US national who was present at one of the cafes during the incident, denied that supporters of Hazem Salah Abu Ismail attacked cafe patrons.
He told Egypt Independent that "there really was not any indication that there were any Hazemoun or Salafis involved or that there was any political or religious aspect to the fight."
Shorouk had quoted an eyewitness as saying that Hazemoun members were accompanied by members of the "Ahrar" movement, a self-styled vigilante youth group enforcing public virtue to attack the café.
The eyewitnesses told the paper that a number of people were injured in the attack, including political activitsts known to frequent the cafes. Witnesses added that Hazemon and Ahrar members fired birdshot and launched fireworks during the attack.
While lighting off fireworks, members of the movements also chanted "Sharia is a lifestyle," according to eyewitnesses.
But Singh denied such allegations as baseless.
"No one yelled anything related to Sharia or anything religious/political that I could hear," he said.
