Egyptian army tanks spread near the Presidential Palace
The Egyptian tanks deployed outside the presidential palace Thursday following violent street battles between supporters and opponents of Mohammed Morsi that left five people dead and over 600 wounded in the worst outbreak of violence between the two sides since the election of the Islamist leader.
The intensity of the overnight violence, Muslim followers Morsi and largely secular protesters lobbing firebombs and stones at each other, marked a turning point in 2-week-old crisis assumption of the Chairman of the near-absolute powers and the hasty adoption of a draft constitution.
Opposition activists challenging called for another protest outside the palace later Thursday, raising the specter of more bloodshed as neither party has shown a willingness to withdraw.
Morsi was in the palace Thursday conducting business as usual, according to a presidential official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to address the media.
Egypt has seen sporadic clashes in nearly two years of political unrest after the ouster of autocratic leader Hosni Mubarak. But Wednesday was the worst street battles between Morsi supporters and followers and came after an implicit call of the Muslim Brotherhood for its members to go to the castle and off anti-Morsi protesters who had camped there.
Unlike Mubarak, was Morsi elected in June after a narrow victory in the first free presidential Egypt, but many activists who supported him have jumped to the opposition after he issued decrees on 22 November that his top control and a draft charter was later stormed through with its Islamist allies. Despite a strike by Christians and liberal groups
Compounding Morsi misery, four of his advisers resigned Wednesday, joining two other members of his 17-member advisory committee, which left him since the crisis began.
The violence began when the Brotherhood called on its members to attend the presidential palace to "defend legitimacy" and against what a statement called on the opposition to attempts to impose its will by force. In response, thousands descended on the area, the clearing of about 300 opposition protesters staging a peaceful sit-in outside the main gate of the castle. Clashes later came with the two sides using stones, sticks and firebombs.
State television quoted the Health Ministry as saying Thursday that five people were killed and 644 injured by stroke, gunshots and tear gas inhalation.
Morsi, meanwhile, seemed determined to go ahead with plans for a constitutional referendum on 15 December on the new charter pass. The opposition, for its part, refuses dialogue unless Morsi revoke decisions taken him near unlimited powers and boards the controversial draft constitution, the chairman Islamist allies rushed through last week in a marathon, all-night session broadcast live on state television.
Mohamed ElBaradei, a leading opposition politician reform advocate, said last Wednesday that Morsi rule was "no different" than Mubarak.
Egypt, army, Presidential palace, tank, violent, News,
The intensity of the overnight violence, Muslim followers Morsi and largely secular protesters lobbing firebombs and stones at each other, marked a turning point in 2-week-old crisis assumption of the Chairman of the near-absolute powers and the hasty adoption of a draft constitution.
Opposition activists challenging called for another protest outside the palace later Thursday, raising the specter of more bloodshed as neither party has shown a willingness to withdraw.
Morsi was in the palace Thursday conducting business as usual, according to a presidential official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to address the media.
Egypt has seen sporadic clashes in nearly two years of political unrest after the ouster of autocratic leader Hosni Mubarak. But Wednesday was the worst street battles between Morsi supporters and followers and came after an implicit call of the Muslim Brotherhood for its members to go to the castle and off anti-Morsi protesters who had camped there.
Unlike Mubarak, was Morsi elected in June after a narrow victory in the first free presidential Egypt, but many activists who supported him have jumped to the opposition after he issued decrees on 22 November that his top control and a draft charter was later stormed through with its Islamist allies. Despite a strike by Christians and liberal groups
Compounding Morsi misery, four of his advisers resigned Wednesday, joining two other members of his 17-member advisory committee, which left him since the crisis began.
The violence began when the Brotherhood called on its members to attend the presidential palace to "defend legitimacy" and against what a statement called on the opposition to attempts to impose its will by force. In response, thousands descended on the area, the clearing of about 300 opposition protesters staging a peaceful sit-in outside the main gate of the castle. Clashes later came with the two sides using stones, sticks and firebombs.
State television quoted the Health Ministry as saying Thursday that five people were killed and 644 injured by stroke, gunshots and tear gas inhalation.
Morsi, meanwhile, seemed determined to go ahead with plans for a constitutional referendum on 15 December on the new charter pass. The opposition, for its part, refuses dialogue unless Morsi revoke decisions taken him near unlimited powers and boards the controversial draft constitution, the chairman Islamist allies rushed through last week in a marathon, all-night session broadcast live on state television.
Mohamed ElBaradei, a leading opposition politician reform advocate, said last Wednesday that Morsi rule was "no different" than Mubarak.
Egypt, army, Presidential palace, tank, violent, News,
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