Fierce clashes in Cairo after Morsi speech
2012-12-07 07:49
Cairo - Fierce clashes broke out in Cairo on Thursday night
after Egypt's Islamist President Mohamed Morsi defied calls to curb his
sweeping powers or suspend proposed changes to the constitution, infuriating
thousands of protesters who have clashed bloodily with his supporters in recent
days.
In an address broadcast live on Thursday, Morsi vowed to
push on with a 15 December referendum on the controversial new constitution,
saying "afterwards, there should be no obstacle and everyone must follow
its will".
As he was wrapping up his speech, protesters stormed the
Cairo villa housing the headquarters of the Muslim Brotherhood which backed him
for the presidency.
"Two hundred thugs went to the headquarters. Security
tried to prevent them, but some got through the back door, ransacked it and set
it on fire," Brotherhood spokesperson Mahmud Ghozlan said.
Police outside the three-storey building said it was a
limited blaze and that riot officers had pushed demonstrators back.
An AFP correspondent at the scene said there were fierce
clashes between hundreds of stick-wielding protesters and police, who fired
tear gas.
Clashes
Seven people died in clashes between Morsi's Islamist
supporters and his mainly secular opponents on Wednesday in Egypt's worst
political crisis since Morsi took office in June. Another 644 people were
injured, medical officials said.
The army on Thursday ordered the square in front of the
presidential palace cleared of protesters from both sides, deploying tanks and
setting up barbed wire.
In his speech, Morsi said more than 80 people had been
arrested.
He railed against the "aggression", implying the
opposition protesters were to blame.
"Some attacked cars of the presidency, seriously
injuring one of their drivers, who is still in hospital," he said.
"We respect peaceful freedom of speech but I will never
allow anyone to resort to killing and sabotage."
Morsi offered to hold dialogue with the opposition and to
meet their representatives on Saturday in his offices, but there was no
immediate indication of compromise judging by his speech on Thursday.
But Hussein Abdel Ghani, spokesperson for the opposition
group the National Rescue Front, dismissed Morsi's gesture, saying "the
president lost a historic chance to act like a president for all Egypt".
He added: "We will continue to escalate (protests),
using peaceful means."
Obama calls Morsi
The United States and European Union have called for
dialogue to resolve the political crisis in Egypt.
US President Barack Obama expressed "deep concern"
Thursday over the events in Egypt, in a call to his counterpart Morsi, the
White House said.
Obama also told Morsi that it was "essential for
Egyptian leaders across the political spectrum to put aside their differences
and come together to agree on a path that will move Egypt forward," the
White House said in a statement.
The anti-Morsi camp is furious with Morsi for assuming
sweeping powers two weeks ago and by what it feels was the railroading through
by an Islamist-dominated panel of the draft constitution.
The violence in Cairo recalls scenes seen in the February
2011 uprising that toppled veteran strongman Hosni Mubarak.
Egypt's top Islamic body, Al-Azhar, has called on Morsi to
suspend his November 22 decree giving him powers critics say are as sweeping as
Mubarak's.
The opposition fears the Islamists are riding roughshod over
civil, political and human rights and the rights of women.
"It's the beginning of a religious state," said
Sahar Ali, a 39-year-old tour guide and Morsi opponent. "They're trying to
turn it into Iran, but we won't let this happen. We got rid of the military -
the Brotherhood is next."
Four of Morsi's advisers have quit over the crisis, the
official MENA news agency reported, and the head of state television has also
resigned, the independent newspaper Al-Masry al-Youm reported on its website.
The Cairo stock market took a heavy hit from the latest
violence, with the EGX-30 index plunging 4.6% at the close.
The opposition says it will not stand down until Morsi
surrenders his new powers - which put his decisions beyond judicial review -
and until he cancels the referendum on the draft charter opposed by liberals
and Christians.
