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Fierce fighting in Cairo as protests continue (Video)
Al Jazeera ^ | Last Modified: 06 Jul 2013 01:04

Posted on 07/05/2013 6:42:10 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach

Supporters and opponents of ousted Egyptian president engage in running street battles on capital's 6th October Bridge.

Supporters and opponents of ousted Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi have been engaged in running street battles in the centre of Cairo after the pro-Morsi camp staged massive protests in the capital and other places across Egypt.

A crowd of Morsi supporters surged across the 6th October Bridge over the Nile River in Cairo after nightfall on Friday and clashed with opponents of the deposed president.

One man was seen apparently firing a gun, while gunshots could he heard in the area. People were seen throwing rocks as the two sides advanced and retreated in turn on the bridge near Tahrir Square.

At least two people were killed and more than 70 injured, a state TV reporter said, quoting medical personnel at a makeshift hospital in the square.

Another 17 people were killed in clashes around the country involving Morsi opponents and backers, as well as security forces, state TV reported, quoting health ministry officials.

Three of the victims were Morsi supporters who were killed by gunfire as a crowd of several hundred tried to march towards the military barracks after the Friday afternoon prayer in Cairo where Morsi is believed to be held.

News agency AFP reported five policemen had been killed in the northern Sinai town of El-Arish, after a soldier was also killed in the region.

Egyptian armed forces denied reports that a state of emergency had been declared in the troubled Sinai Peninsular, and that curfews had been imposed.

Army intervention

Meanwhile, a deputy leader of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, former presidential candidate Khairat El-Shater, has been arrested, security sources, his party and state news agency MENA said on Saturday.

Security sources said Shater, a wealthy businessman seen as the movement's main political strategist, was taken into custody on suspicion of incitement to violence.

Military armoured vehicles raced onto the bridge late on Friday in the first major attempt to break up the clashes.

Several armoured vehicles, at least one with young Morsi opponents sitting on the roof, deployed on the bridge, aiming to chase away Morsi supporters. Military helicopters also flew toward Tahrir.

The street battles began after a large crowd of Morsi supporters marched from Nasr City towards the Maspero state TV building and clashed with anti-Morsi protesters on the October 6 Bridge near Tahrir Square in the centre of the capital.

Al Jazeera's Sherine Tadros, reporting from near the bridge, said the situation was increasingly tense.

"There are thousands of people on the streets. [...] When people heard pro-Morsi people were on their way, they came towards the bridge and that's where clashes started happening. People are throwing whatever they can and it is a very intense situation."

Live TV pictures showed how hundreds of protesters clashed and cars were set ablaze, as both sides kept throwing fireworks at each other.

Riots were also reported in Al Manial district, an island in river Nile, between Cairo and Giza, according to state TV said.

A state TV reporter said that some pro-Morsi protesters in Giza decided to stop marching towards Maspero after hearing about the clashes.

'Sacrifice for Morsi'

Earlier on Friday, Mohamed Badie, the top leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, spoke of his intention not to give up on Morsi's presidency.

The dramatic appearance by Badie on stage before tens of thousands of supporters in the capital's Nasr City was his first in public since Morsi was forced from office.

In a defiant speech he said, "We are willing to sacrifice ourselves to protect our President Mohammed Morsi."

Badie also addressed the Coptic pope, Tawadros II of Alexandria, saying that he was not qualified, "to speak on behalf of the Christians of Egypt. When it comes to politics you are just a religious symbol."

Morsi, "is my president and your president and the president of all Egyptians," Badie proclaimed, thrusting his arms in the air.

"God make Morsi victorious and bring him back to the palace," he said in the speech, which was partially aired on state TV. "We are his soldiers, we defend him with our lives."

Badie's speech appeared to be aimed at not only firing up his supporters but also at trying to win support within the military against army chief General Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, the defence minister who announced the president's removal on Wednesday night.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Israel; News/Current Events; Russia; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: badie; badiethatsallfolks; egypt; egyptcoup; israel; mohamedbadie; mohammedbadie; randsconcerntrolls; russia; waronterror

1 posted on 07/05/2013 6:42:10 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
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To: SunkenCiv; Marine_Uncle; SJackson; TigersEye; NormsRevenge; onyx; justa-hairyape; Nachum; ...

fyi


2 posted on 07/05/2013 6:44:12 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

I knew it was going to be bad and its going to get a lot worse. If this devolves into a civil war, its going to be big trouble for the whole world due to the loss of the Suez canal.

It will be a war of many factions with the brotherhood being the strongest single faction.


3 posted on 07/05/2013 6:47:18 PM PDT by cripplecreek (REMEMBER THE RIVER RAISIN!)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
And the President and Reggie are doing a little blow and have young boys in the WH.

OK, what is wrong with this picture?

4 posted on 07/05/2013 6:48:10 PM PDT by RoosterRedux (You can't eat Sharia)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

The euphoria didn’t last long. Egypt will devolve into another Algeria. The West should prepare for hordes of unwanted refugees.


5 posted on 07/05/2013 6:51:53 PM PDT by allendale
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

Screw Baddie. His name says it all.


6 posted on 07/05/2013 6:53:21 PM PDT by Gabrial (The nightmare will continue as long as the nightmare is in the Whitehouse)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

Obama McCain and Rubio support the Mo Bros in this?

How bizarre are these peole in Wasington!?


7 posted on 07/05/2013 6:53:23 PM PDT by Mr. Peabody
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
The Brotherhood is way less practical and astute than I thought. All those years of planning, and they've totally screwed the pooch. They probably needed ACORN to help them steal the election to begin with.

Morsi and his boys were really clueless to get ahead of themselves grabbing for power. I think they have way less support than anyone thinks—hence the massive demonstrations—and they can't fight a military campaign worth a darn either. With everyone still furious at the utter wreck the MoBros made of the economy, to the point of people literally going hungry, it's the ideal time to have this fight—which has to be waged sometime.

My guess is the army will wipe up the MoBros pronto. The army was smart to begin by strangling their communication and propaganda capacity.

8 posted on 07/05/2013 7:00:45 PM PDT by SamuraiScot
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

Expect more of the same next Friday.


9 posted on 07/05/2013 7:02:57 PM PDT by lightman (Prosecute the heresies; pity the heretics.)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach; AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; ColdOne; ...

Thanks Ernest. But the tables have turned.


10 posted on 07/05/2013 7:05:09 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (McCain or Romney would have been worse, if you're a dumb ass.)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

I wouldn’t rule out a Rwanda style bloodbath if it can’t get settled peacefully. All the warring parties are within a couple hundred miles of each other.


11 posted on 07/05/2013 7:13:45 PM PDT by Vince Ferrer
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
I'm not going to worry one bit about how this turns out.
After all Hanoi John is on his yacht getting sloshed with
the Mrs. most likely. All will turn out well. /sarc
12 posted on 07/05/2013 7:21:10 PM PDT by Marine_Uncle (Galt level is not far away......)
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To: SamuraiScot

The smart move would be to establish a form of “Kemalist” government with the army between the people and the Islamists. Worked well in Turkey for almost 100 years


13 posted on 07/06/2013 3:24:26 AM PDT by Jimmy Valentine (DemocRATS - when they speak, they lie; when they are silent, they are stealing the American Dream)
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To: SamuraiScot

The MB is DEAD in Egypt and will be dying out world-wide in time.


14 posted on 07/06/2013 4:25:04 AM PDT by Biggirl ("Jesus talked to us as individuals"-Jim Vicevich/Thanks JimV!)
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