For the fifth consecutive day, police and soldiers in Egypt have used tear gas and batons in an attempt to clear pro-democracy demonstrators from Cairo’s Tahrir Square. Video from the weekend showing soldiers dragging a woman through the street by her hair, with traditional clothing ripped from her body and her underwear exposed, has caused shock and outrage around the world. On Monday, General Adel Emara, a member of Egypt’s ruling military council that took over after President Hosni Mubarak was overthrown in February, called the assault an isolated incident and said it was under investigation. Emara suggested the youth of Egypt were not responsible for the nation’s unrest.

General Adel Emara, Egypt’s Supreme Council of the Armed Forces: “It is not possible that those who are destroying the nation are demonstrators or that they are amongst the January 25th youth, who are pure. It is not possible that the young people that sacrificed their souls are the same people that I will show you now, or those that raise their hands to burn Egypt’s heritage or burn the Parliament. It is not possible that they are the pure, young people, the hope of Egypt and the wealth of the nation.”

Medical officials say at least 13 people have been killed since the clashes began Friday. Hundreds more have been wounded. The group Reporters Without Borders claims the military has used systematic violence to block journalists from covering the events. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has joined Amnesty International in demanding that arms suppliers stop sending small arms and weapons to the Egyptian army. The United States alone provides Egypt’s military with $1.3 billion in annual aid. Former Egyptian presidential candidate and longtime dissident Ayman Nour called on Egypt’s military council to cease its campaign of violence at once.

Ayman Nour, Al-Ghad Party chairman: “We are demanding the military council to stop this violence, and it should withdraw the forces and oblige to certain actions, such as stop shooting, respecting human rights, the right to express opinions and the right of protesting. But all of these rights have been violated. In fact, we are demanding the military council to tell us the truth, because all of its statements were not true. We have been shocked, and this situation is leading us into a dead-end tunnel.”

Nour was beaten and detained by the Egyptian military when the clashes began late last week.