Widely criticized for its months-long crackdown on street protests, Egypt's ruling military council dramatically backed down Tuesday during a march by thousands of women through the streets of Cairo.
"That boot landing on that woman's stomach shocked the nation," CTV's Middle East Bureau Chief Martin Seemungal said of the video image that sparked Tuesday's march.
"It's actually quite quiet in Tahrir Square and Egypt (today)," Seemungal told CTV News Channel by phone from Jerusalem. "A lot of the reason it is so quiet, many believe, is having to do with that women's march that took place last night."
The protest against the treatment of women during earlier marches began with a few hundred women in Tahrir Square but quickly grew to about 10,000.
Some marchers carried the photo of the young woman whose clothes were partially pulled off by troops, baring her down to her blue bra, while a soldier raised a boot to stomp on her chest. The crowd chanted, "Tantawi stripped your women naked, come join us," a reference to Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, the head of the military council that has ruled Egypt since the Feb. 11 fall of Hosni Mubarak. "The daughters of Egypt are a red line," they chanted.
"This sent a very strong message to the military ruling council that they had had enough," Seemungal said.
"The girl dragged around is just like my daughter," said 54-year-old marcher Um Hossam, who wore a traditional black dress and headscarf. "I am a free woman, and attacking this woman or killing protesters is just like going after one of my own children."
Before the marchers had even returned to the square, the military council issued a statement of regret for what it called "violations" against women.
"There were a lot of people in Egypt who were backing what the military was doing in trying to crack down on these protesters," Seemungal added. "But they went so far with their brutality and there were images of protesters being hit while they were down. (And) these startling images of women wearing those full Muslim robes having them ripped off."
On Monday, American Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton accused Egyptian security forces of specifically targeting women.
"This systematic degradation of Egyptian women dishonours the revolution, disgraces the state and its uniform, and is not worthy of a great people," she said.
Seemungal said the situation in Egypt remains incredibly complicated with protesters demanding the military rulers step aside in January but the leadership insisting it will stay in power until presidential elections can be held in June.
When Tuesday's protest began, the women were surrounded by a protective ring of men as they chanted slogans for the military council to step aside to make way for civilian rule.
Many protesters said the military had targeted women in earlier protests to scare them off. And some reminded observers that in March soldiers had subjected female protesters to virginity tests to prove they were of loose morals.
"They are trying to break women's spirits, starting with the virginity tests. They want to break their dignity so that they don't go out and protest," said Maha Abdel-Nasser, an engineer who joined the march.
"No one should ever be beaten for expressing their opinion," Yomna Shams, 19, said. "I am proud I took part in today's protest. I feel I can tell my kids I have done something for them in the future."
"This is a case of honour. But they clearly don't care for honour or religion. They now care only about their political interests," said Mohammed Fawaz, one of the men in the protective chain around the marching women.
Meanwhile, the voting in election runoffs for Egypt's first parliament since Mubarak's ouster resumed on Wednesday and will continue Thursday. A third and final round is set for early January, although the new parliament will not sit until March, after three rounds of voting for the legislature's upper chamber is completed.
Observers expect the Muslim Brotherhood, the country's largest and best organized political group, to maintain their comfortable lead in the election so far.
With files from The Associated Press
