Protesters unbowed by deaths
Morsi backers defiant despite Egypt clashes
CAIRO: Supporters of Egypt’s ousted president Mohamed Morsi pledged yesterday to press ahead with their protests, a day after bloody clashes at a Cairo sitin killed at least 72 people.
Sporadic violence was reported nationwide yesterday.
Saturday’s violence in the capital drew international and domestic condemnation, including from Washington, a key backer of the Egyptian army.
Following the clashes near the Rabaa Adawiya mosque where Morsi loyalists have been camped out for weeks, the interior minister pledged to disperse the protests ‘‘soon’’.
But the violence and the warning did not appear to have thinned the Cairo ranks, where a core group of several thousand protesters remained.
And Muslim Brotherhood spokesman Gehad El-Haddad said demonstrators were angry but ‘‘hugely defiant’’ after Saturday’s deaths.
‘‘There are feelings of agony and anger, but also a very strong feeling of determination,’’ he said.
At Rabaa Adawiya, hundreds of protesters at a time staged mini demonstrations to keep the mood buoyant.
‘‘In January 2011, [former president] Hosni Mubarak was strong, but he fell in a peaceful way,’’ said Khaled Khalil, a sociology professor at the protest.
‘‘God willing, Sisi will fall in the same peaceful way,’’ he added, referring to army chief General Abdel Fattah alSisi, who led the coup against Mr Morsi.
The violence early on Saturday was the bloodiest incident since Mr Morsi’s July 3 ouster following huge demonstrations against his rule.
The Health Ministry said 72 people were killed in Cairo on Saturday, along with nine in Alexandria a day earlier.
In Menufiya, in the central Delta region, Morsi opponents set fire to the Brotherhood headquarters, causing no injuries, Mena said.
Morsi supporters on Saturday accused security forces of using live fire against unarmed protesters, but the Interior Ministry insisted that its forces had only fired tear gas.
Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim also warned on Saturday that proMorsi demonstrations would be dispersed ‘‘in a legal fashion’’ and ‘‘as soon as possible’’.
He called on protesters to ‘‘come to their senses’’ and go home.
The violence prompted international condemnation, with Human Rights Watch accusing Egyptian authorities of ‘‘criminal disregard for people’s lives’’.
US Secretary of State John Kerry, whose country contributes hundreds of millions of dollars in military and economic assistance to Egypt, expressed Washington’s ‘‘deep concern’’.
Mr Kerry called on the authorities to ‘‘respect the right of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression’’.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has infuriated Egypt’s interim administration by maintaining his support for Mr Morsi, denounced what he described as ‘‘massacres’’.
British Foreign Secretary William Hague urged the authorities to ‘‘cease the use of violence against protesters, including live fire, and to hold to account those responsible’’.
The violence also prompted domestic criticism, with Vice-President Mohamed ElBaradei, a former opposition activist who joined the transitional government, denouncing ‘‘excessive use of force’’ by the authorities.
Mr Morsi, elected after the 2011 uprising that toppled Mr Mubarak, is being held in custody.
He is accused of ‘‘premeditated murder’’ over his escape from prison during the 2011 uprising.