Tuesday, July 30, 2013

More Deaths in Egyptian Political Unrest

3 killed, including reporter, thirty injured in Egypt's Port Said violence

Ahram Online , Monday 29 Jul 2013

Street violence in the Suez Canal city on Sunday left three dead, dozens injured as unrest continues across Egypt

Clashes between loyalists of Egypt's deposed Islamist president Mohamed Morsi and other residents in Port Said on Sunday left three dead, state news agency MENA said.

Supporters of the toppled Islamist leader had opened fire during the funeral of a fellow loyalist killed in deadly Saturday violence in north Cairo, MENA reported.

The president's loyalists reportedly set several police vehicles alight during the clashes.

Those killed in the violence include a reporter from Egypt's interior ministry official website who succumbed to gunshot injuries hours later.

Thirty others were wounded by gunfire, birdshot and bladed weapons.

Enraged local residents set ablaze several shops owned by members of the Muslim Brotherhood, according to MENA.

The Muslim Brotherhood, from which ousted president Morsi hails, denied allegations that its supporters had initiated the violence.

Street violence between rival factions has rocked Egypt since the army's overthrow of president Mohamed Morsi on 3 July amid nationwide protest against his rule.

At least 80 Morsi loyalists were killed on Saturday in clashes with police at their month-old sit-in in Cairo's Nasr City, throwing the bitterly polarised country into deeper turmoil.

http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/77694.aspx


Pro-Morsi marches end violently in Mansoura, Ismailia

Ahram Online, Tuesday 30 Jul 2013

Supporters of Morsi organise marches to security directorates across Egypt, in protest at what they describe as police brutality in the early hours of Saturday in Cairo

Clashes erupted between supporters of deposed president Mohamed Morsi and opponents in Egypt's Nile Delta Mansoura and the Canal city of Ismailia on Monday.

Supporters of Morsi organised marches to a number of security directorates across Egypt, in protest at what they describe 'police brutality' during Saturday's clashes that left at least 80 dead and hundreds injured.

In Mansoura, violence broke out after police forces prevented a pro-Morsi march from reaching the security directorate as planned.

Police fired teargas when violence erupted, according to Al-Ahram's Arabic site. There were around 5,000 protesters chanting against Defence Minister Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and calling for the reinstatement of Morsi as president.

The marchers, some of whom carried symbolic empty coffins in reference to victims, set out from the Mansoura University Stadium to reach the security directorate.

Last week, an explosive device went off at a police station near the security directorate in Mansoura, the capital of Daqahliya governorate in the Nile Delta, killing at least one conscript and injuring 19.

In Ismailia, similar clashes erupted that saw pro-Morsi supporters, also marching to the security directorate, and opponents exchange birdshot and stones. The police also fired teargas in an attempt to end the clash.

No death or injury tolls were reported from both incidents.

Morsi's supporters and opponents have frequently faced off since his overthrow, leading to at least 200 dead and hundreds injured in the past few weeks.

Both camps have used firearms against one other, among other weapons, on numerous occasions.

The Ministry of Health said at least 80 had been killed in violence in Cairo's Nasr City district on Saturday, further enraging the Islamists who denounced the "massacre" and vowed to continue their protests.

After one year in office, Morsi was ousted on 3 July after mass nationwide protests against the former elected president.

Morsi has been held incommunicado ever since.

http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/77774.aspx


Egypt prosecution slaps Wasat Party's Madi, Sultan with 15-day detention

Ahram Online, Tuesday 30 Jul 2013

Egypt's prosecution ordered on Monday a 15-day detention for Wasat Party head Aboul-Ela Madi and spokesman Essam Sultan, less than one day after their arrest.

Sultan and Madi are accused of inciting violence by way of inflammatory speech directed at Morsi supporters camped-out in Nasr City's Rabaa Al-Adawiya mosque, which allegedly led to the fatal torturing of three citizens at the sit-in.

They are also accused of calling on Islamists to torch state institutions in Nasr City.

Both men were arrested early Monday in Cairo's Moqattam district and were transferred to Tora Prison on the outskirts of Cairo, where former president Hosni Mubarak and his two sons are also held.

The arrest of Madi and Sultan, who are staunch supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi, comes weeks after the detention of several leading Islamist figures in the wake of Morsi’s ouster.

The Wasat Party was founded in the late 1990s by defectors of the Muslim Brotherhood, the group from which Morsi hails.

http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/77768.aspx


Egypt PM 'not sure' if security opened fire on Morsi loyalists

Ahram Online, Tuesday 30 Jul 2013

Interim PM El-Beblawi denies army interference in politics since Morsi ouster, says he will resign 'the moment' he feels civilian government is 'besieged'

Egypt's Interim Prime Minister Hazem El-Beblawi said he is "not sure" if security personnel used live ammunition against supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi during clashes early Saturday, stressing the importance of respecting human rights.

"I am not sure," he replied when asked by CNN if police or army forces had opened fired at pro-Morsi crowds in Cairo's Nasr City.

El-Beblawi stressed that anyone who breaks the law, including government officials, should be held accountable.

He added that he was sure an instruction had been given regarding Saturday's events, and he "was told by the minister that they took the instruction very seriously. But we will undertake an investigation to make sure that there is no abuse."

"But what surprises me is someone wants to make his voices aloud, how come they take to the street after 1 o'clock in the morning," El-Beblawi stated during the interview conducted in English.

The Ministry of Health said at least 80 were killed in the Saturday clashes that occurred less than two kilometers away from the massive pro-Morsi sit-in at Nasr City's Rabaa Al-Adawiya Mosque.

Doctors at the sit-in's field hospital said at least 200 protesters were killed and 4500 injured, most of whom they say were fatally shot by police forces.

According to the Egyptian prosecution and eyewitness accounts, Morsi’s supporters were attempting to rally on top of the Sixth of October Bridge, which prompted security forces to take action.

Widely circulated videos showed police troops firing rounds in the direction of Morsi's supporters, some of whom also appeared to be using firearms.

In the weeks following Morsi's ouster on 3 July, thousands of pro-Morsi protesters have staged sit-ins at Rabaa Al-Adawiya and in Giza's Al-Nahda Square, located in front of Cairo University. They have also been organising marches across Egypt to demand Morsi's reinstatement as president.

The number of protesters at Rabaa Al-Adawiya increased on Friday, with crowds extending to the Unknown Soldier Memorial (one kilometre away) and the nearby Sixth of October Bridge.

The Egyptian army removed Morsi from the presidency after one year in office following nationwide protests against the former leader.

El-Beblawi, however, stressed that it there has been no interference in politics by the military since Morsi's overthrow.

"As far as I am concerned, I feel very much in charge with my council of ministers, and I haven't seen any indication or any sign from anyone to tell me what to be done," he stated.

"The moment I feel that the civilian government is besieged, I will put in my resignation."

http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/77772.aspx


Clashes leave 12 houses torched in Cairo's Ezbet Abu-Hashish

Ahram Online , Monday 29 Jul 2013

Family dispute or confrontation over ousted president fate: Conflicting reports emerge on how clashes broke out in Cairo's Ezbet Abu-Hashish working-class neighbourhood late Sunday

Twelve houses were torched in Cairo's Ezbet Abu-Hashish working-class neighbourhood late on Sunday night after clashes erupted in the area.

Head of Egypt's Civil Protection Authority Abd El-Aziz Tawfik said that eight fire-fighting vehicles arrived at the scene to extinguish the flames, state news agency MENA reported.

Security forces have been inspecting the damage and conducting an investigation.

Conflicting reports have emerged on how the clashes broke out.

Gunshots and Molotov cocktails were used in clashes between the two local families of El-Ghagar and El-Fotaima, according to Al-Ahram Arabic news website.

According to eyewitnesses quoted by MENA, tens of supporters of deposed president Mohamed Morsi threw Molotov cocktails at homes from the nearby Sixth of October Bridge.

Other media reports said that a pro-Morsi march passed by Ezbet Abu-Hashish when arguments broke out between protesters and residents, turning into violent confrontations.

Security forces had closed off one side of the Sixth of October Bridge during the clashes, but reopened it when the situation stabilised.

After one year in office, Morsi was ousted on 3 July as part of the Egyptian armed forces' roadmap, which was launched days after mass nationwide protests began against the former elected president.

Morsi's supporters and opponents have frequently faced off since his overthrow, leading to at least 200 dead and hundreds injured in the past few weeks.

Both camps have used firearms against one other, among other weapons, on numerous occasions.

The health ministry has yet to issue a report on injuries in this incident.

http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/77687.aspx

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