People’s anger on reformed police force led to widespread riots in Egypt Wednesday. The military had to intervene to suppress the riots as the police force fell short to deal with the situation. The riots were the largest after the first round of uprisings in February this year which led whole of the Arab world into chaos.

As if it was second round of uprisings, thousands of protesters were on the streets of Cairo as they were demanding faster trial of regime authorities. As per the reports from the Ministry of Health over 1000 people were victim of minor injuries. As many as 16 people were in hospital by the mid of the day. Police has arrested 40 people that include a British and an American national as well.

The apparent inability of police to handle the situation has put a question mark over the interim government under the rule of which the process of transition to a full-fledged democracy is sought. The parliamentary elections are due in September.

The incident has renewed the concerns about the feasibility of country’s transition into democracy. But the incident itself and those preceding this one in past few days are also indication that if concrete changes in the polity of the country are not evident to the people it may lead to the second widespread wave of uprisings in the country. And as this was the country after the Tunisia to trigger the pan-Arabian uprisings, the country must attract the world’s attention.

The protesters were protesting police’s high handedness and corruption still prevalent in the country. The protests have reminded again that the masses are the highest authority in any polity. The anger of people burst on the police to lead the situation to riots. Earlier protests had been reported to be resolved and disciplined.

It was the protests from the masses of Egypt that led to ousting of President Hosni Mubarak who ruled the country for decades.

At present there are beside the regular police the ‘Egypt’s Central Security Forces’ and the ‘Homeland Security’ under the Egypt’s Ministry of Interior. The ministry has sought to woo the people by reforms inside the forces. But these efforts seem to have been non-productive.

Video footage shows that there were clashes between the protesters and the police. Tear gas was used to disperse the protesters at the historical Tahrir Square of Egypt.

“The Ministry of Interior as it is at the moment should be dissolved completely. It should be demilitarized,” said Mr. Abbas, who witnessed some of the recent protests. “It’s the same Central Security using tear gas with peaceful protesters, rubber bullets, violence—the same as during Mubarak’s time.”

The Wednesday protests had a few players who were part of the first wave of the uprisings. But there are reports which suggest that there were also some anarchic elements in the protests.

Reports suggest that people are paying their homage to the martyrs of the February revolution. The relatives of those deceased in February were also reported to have participated in yesterday’s protests. Reportedly the homage occasion was organized for the relatives of the martyrs only. When the police stopped others from entering the premises, the conflict erupted. The police reportedly used hand-held weapons to deal with the crowd. The Ministry’s version is that some unidentified elements attacked the families of the martyrs.

This was followed by the crossing of the river Nile to have a demonstration before the Ministry of Interior. This reminded again the February uprisings. Witnesses say that stones were used by the riot security force ‘Egypt’s Central Security Forces’ to ‘control’ thousands of protesters.

The repercussions followed when the protesters changed the site to the Tahrir Square and they pelted stones on the police to evoke it to use tear gas.

It was almost whole night of Tuesday and morning of Wednesday that the riot situation prevailed at the Tahrir Square.

The background of the riots is traced back in a judgment to postpone the trial of former interior minister who has to face trial with charges of ordering demonstrators’ murder.

“They threw too much tear gas on us,” a young man who participated the protests, said. “It was definitely revenge from the police because some of them were injured when we were throwing stones.”

Egypt’s attorney general has assured an investigation into the incidents at Tahrir Square.

“Any country that changes from a regime institution to a democratic institution has to pass through a liquid period like this,” said Aasr Nigm Al Din, the head of training for Egypt’s Homeland Security, the successor of the State Security agency.

After all it is a tough time for Egypt’s provisional government which is handling the delicate task to transform a regime into a democracy.