Anti-Morsi protesters march for change
2013-02-08 16:10
Cairo - Thousands took to the streets after opposition
groups called for "Friday of dignity" rallies demanding Egyptian
President Mohammed Morsi fulfil the goals of the revolt that brought him to
power.
Banging on drums, waving flags and clapping in unison,
demonstrators marched from several locations in the capital towards Tahrir
Square and the presidential palace.
The marches come after several incidents of police violence
last week that caused public outrage and sparked angry demonstrations.
"The people want the downfall of the regime," the
protesters chanted while others slammed interior ministry officials as
"thugs".
Protests against the Islamist president have also been
organised after the weekly Friday Muslim main prayers in several of Egypt's 27
provinces.
Thirty-eight opposition parties and movements have called
for the rallies, demanding a new unity government, amendments to the
Islamist-drafted constitution and guarantees that the independence of the
judiciary be maintained.
Earlier this week, the death of a pro-democracy activist
following days in police custody sparked fury and reignited calls for police
reform - a key demand of the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak in 2011.
His death came just days after footage was aired live on
television of a man stripped naked and beaten by riot police during
demonstrations near the presidential palace.
The two incidents confronted Morsi with uncomfortable
parallels with the old regime.
Political violence
Friday's protests come just days after clerics issued fatwas
to justify killing opposition leaders.
Radical cleric Mahmud Shaaban, a professor at Sunni Islam's
main seat of learning Al-Azhar, gave the green light to kill opposition leaders
including former UN nuclear watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei and ex-presidential
candidate Hamdeen Sabbahi, during a talk show on a satellite channel.
Another hardline cleric, Wagdi Ghoneim, also called on
Muslims to "kill the thugs, criminals, and thieves who burn the country",
state media reported.
Security was stepped up outside the homes of ElBaradei and
Sabbahi ahead of the protests, witnesses told AFP, following orders from the
interior minister.
The presidency condemned the fatwas as
"terrorism".
"Some are promoting and inciting political violence
while others who claim to speak in the name of religion are permitting
‘killing’ based on political differences and this is terrorism," the
presidency said.
In recent months, Egypt has witnessed regular, often bloody,
protests against Morsi who is accused of betraying the revolution that toppled
Mubarak.
Opponents have criticised him of using his power to promote
the interests of his Muslim Brotherhood, long banned under his predecessor.
The country has been deeply divided between Morsi's mainly
Islamist supporters and an opposition of liberals, leftists, Christians but
also deeply religious Muslims calling for rights and the separation of religion
and state.
