- WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT
- Hundreds of thousands turned out across Egypt after Army calls for demonstrations 'against terrorism'
- They clashed with supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi who also lined the streets yesterday
- Armed police launched dawn raid on Muslim Brotherhood demonstrators who have been staging sit in
- Morsi has been formally accused of conspiring with Palestinian group Hamas and of murdering prison officers
- The fighting is the country's bloodiest incidence of violence since the army deposed Hosni Mubarak in 2011
- British Foreign Secretary William Hague has called on the country’s new rulers to halt violent attacks on protesters
- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry urges Egypt to 'pull back from the brink'
|
Thousands of supporters of deposed
Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi remained in a sit-in protest at a
Cairo mosque this morning, after armed police shot dead more than 100
yesterday.
Blood covered the
floor of makeshift field hospitals set up to treat the wounded after
the dawn attack by security forces, amid claims that thousands more were
wounded in the crackdown.
As
news of the bloodbath spread, Egyptian authorities last night faced
international condemnation. British Foreign Secretary William Hague
called on 'all sides to refrain from violence' while U.S. Secretary of
State John Kerry urged the Arab ally to 'pull back from the brink'.
SOME MORE PICTURES
Solemn: Muslim brotherhood supporters of ousted
president Mohamed Morsi pray on the body of protester killed by Egyptian
security forces near Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque
Uncowed: Scenes after the violence yesterday.
Thousands of supporters of deposed Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi
remained in a sit-in protest at a Cairo mosque this morning
Memorial: Flowers, a garment and bricks mark the
spot where a Muslim Brotherhood supporter was killed by Egyptian
security forces yesterday. The crackdown has prompted condemnation from
Egypt's Western allies
It is the worst violence in the
country since the Arab spring revolution two years ago overthrew
longtime military-backed dictator Hosni Mubarak.
Bodies
wrapped in white sheets were laid on the floor of a Brotherhood morgue,
their names scrawled on the shrouds. Coffins containing bodies of those
killed were carried through demonstrations as anger simmered at the
government's violence.
William
Hague last night condemned the Egyptian authorities over the bloodbath,
carried out by state security forces just before pre-dawn prayers.
‘I
am deeply concerned by recent events in Egypt and condemn the use of
force against protesters which has led to the loss of lives. I call on
all sides to refrain from violence,' he said.
‘Now is the time for dialogue, not confrontation.’
U.S. Defence Secretary Chuck
Hagel spoke by telephone with Egyptian army chief General Abdel Fattah
al-Sisi, who led the July 3 military overthrow of Mr Morsi and whose
face has appeared on posters across the teeming capital, Cairo.
And
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry spoke to two senior members of
Egypt's army-installed interim cabinet, expressing his 'deep concern.'
'This
is a pivotal moment for Egypt,' he said in a statement. 'The United
States ... calls on all of Egypt's leaders across the political spectrum
to act immediately to help their country take a step back from the
brink.'
Battleground: Central Cairo looked like a warzone as residents walked home around the makeshift road blocks
Clashes: Supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood
and ousted president Mohamed Morsi fighting with opponents to Morsi in
the distance
Grief: Relatives mourning outside a field hospital at Rabaa Adawiya mosque on Saturday
Followers: This image released by the Egyptian
army of Friday evening's pro-army rally shows the strength of support
for the security forces and against the ousted president Morsi
Demonstration: Hundreds of thousands took to the streets as supporters of the army heeded a call to rally
Support: Demonstrations like this pro-army
gathering in Tahrir Square on Friday night were met with
counter-protests by Morsi followers
The mass shooting represents the worst
violence seen in Egypt since the fall Mubarak, the country's
longstanding military- and Western-backed dictator, two years ago in the
‘Arab Spring’ uprisings.
The
security forces are accused of attacking protesters who had moved out
of a mosque and were blocking a main road in east Cairo.
The military-backed government had earlier vowed to sweep away what it called ‘terrorists’.
One
doctor said makeshift field hospitals had been swamped with casualties,
with at least 38 dead and many more injured. Others put the death toll
in the hundreds, while television footage showed corpses covered in
white shrouds amid pools of blood.
‘They are not shooting to wound, they are shooting to kill,’ said the Muslim Brotherhood’s spokesman Gehad El-Haddad.
But the interior ministry insisted only tear gas had been used, adding that 14 policemen and 37 soldiers had also been injured.
However, Al Jazeera Egypt reported that some 4,500 may have been injured in the early morning violence.
Military-backed
authorities were feeling emboldened after millions turned out for
nationwide rallies on Friday called by the army chief.
A
leading figure of Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood, Mohammed el-Beltagy,
blamed the violence on army chief General Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi's call
for rallies on Friday.
Hundreds of
thousands of people came onto the streets after army
chief General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi,
who played a central role in overthrowing the president, called for
Egyptians to rally to give him a mandate to tackle 'violence and
terrorism'.
Support: A Egyptian man waves national flags as an army helicopter flies over supporters of the army in Tahrir Square
Show of strength: Supporters of the army gathered in Tahrir Square in Cairo on Friday
Lights: Hundreds of laser lights were shone into
the sky by demonstrators in Tahrir Square who rallied to show support
for the army
Reporters at the scene said firing could still be heard hours after the troubles started.
'They are not shooting to wound, they are shooting to kill,' said pro-Morsi Muslim Brotherhood spokesman Gehad El-Haddad.
The deaths occurred hours after supporters and opponents of Morsi staged
mass rival rallies across the country.
Ragab Nayel Ali, one of the pro-Morsi protesters, said security forces fired first with tear gas and birdshot.
'Protesters
replied by hurling rocks and started building walls,' said Ali, who was
injured in an accident as he ferried wounded on his motorcycle from the
fighting to a field hospital.
Clash: Security forces fired rounds of teargas at pro-Morsi supporters at a vigil in Cairo
Barricade: Supporters of the deposed president
throw stones from behind a makeshift wall as they take cover from the
police during clashes in Cairo
Explosion: Fireworks are set off near police and pro-army protesters by supporters of Morsi
Warzone: The streets of Cairo descended into chaos as supporters of the army clashed with pro-Morsi demonstrators
Confusion: Security forces said they had fired teargas at pro-Morsi supporters but denied shooting at them
Aftermath: Supporters of President Morsi lay
flowers near a puddle of blood, while a woman cries outside a field
hospital in the Nasr area of the city
The fighting is the country's bloodiest incidence of violence since the army deposed Mohammed Morsi earlier this month.
But Muslim Brotherhood supporters also staged mass counter-rallies,
demanding the reinstatement of Morsi, who was placed under investigation
on Friday for a raft of crimes, including murder.
More than 200 people have died in
violence since the overthrow of Morsi, including at least nine on
Friday, most of them Brotherhood supporters.
Mr Haddad said the latest deaths came after police started firing repeated rounds of
teargas around 3am at protesters who had
spilled out of the main area of the Rabaa sit-in.
'Through the smog of the gas, the
bullets started flying,' he said.
Security: A military helicopter patrols the
skies above Tahrir Square where hundreds of thousands of supporters of
the army gathered on Friday
Flares: Fireworks were let off above the crowds at the presidential palace in Cairo
Split: Both the army and the ousted president have thousands of supporters in Egypt
Conflict: Police stand back as teargas is fired into a crowd in Cairo in the early hours of Saturday morning
He claimed 'special police forces
in black uniforms' were firing live rounds and that snipers shot from
the roofs of a university, buildings in the area, and a bridge.
State news agency MENA quoted an unnamed security source as saying that
only teargas was used to disperse protesters. He said no firearms were
used.
Mr Haddad said the pro-Morsi supporters had used rocks to try to defend
themselves.
On the podium outside the Rabaa mosque, a speaker urged
people to retreat from the gunfire, but Mr Haddad said 'men stayed to defend themselves
because women and children are inside the sit-in'.
Injuries: A supporter of the ousted president is rushed to a field hospital in the Nasr area of Cairo
Attack: A spokesman for the Muslim Brotherhood
claimed hundreds of people were injured when security forces shot at
them in the early hours on Saturday
Treatment: At least 70 people are thought to have died, while scores of the injured were rushed to a field hospital.
Senior Brotherhood politician Saad el-Hosseini said: 'I have been trying to make the youth withdraw for five hours. I can't. They are saying have paid with their blood and they do not want to retreat.'
Senior Brotherhood politician Saad el-Hosseini said: 'I have been trying to make the youth withdraw for five hours. I can't. They are saying have paid with their blood and they do not want to retreat.'
Egypt's army-installed interior
minister, Mohamed Ibrahim, said on Friday that the month-old Cairo
vigils by Morsi supporters would be 'brought to an end, soon and in a
legal manner', state-run al Ahram news website reported.
Yesterday the country's new rulers accused Morsi of conspiring with the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas and plotting to attack police stations, army officers and prisons during the 2011 uprising against former president Hosni Mubarak.
During the 2011 struggles, he had escaped from a prison and has now been accused of the 'premeditated killing of officers, soldiers and prisoners'.
Yesterday the country's new rulers accused Morsi of conspiring with the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas and plotting to attack police stations, army officers and prisons during the 2011 uprising against former president Hosni Mubarak.
During the 2011 struggles, he had escaped from a prison and has now been accused of the 'premeditated killing of officers, soldiers and prisoners'.
Ousted: Former president Mohammed Morsi has been formally accused of a raft of crimes and is expected to be charged
Backing: Supporters of Egypt's ousted president
Mohamed Morsi take part in a demonstration in the city of Alexandria,
where at least five people died
The announcement by prosecutors of the
investigation against Morsi is likely to pave the way to a formal
indictment and eventually a trial.
It was the first news of his legal status since he was deposed by the military on July 3. Since then, the Islamist leader has been held incommunicado in a secret location.
It was the first news of his legal status since he was deposed by the military on July 3. Since then, the Islamist leader has been held incommunicado in a secret location.
Besides Morsi, five other senior figures from the group have been detained. Hassan Mohammed, a 30-year old teacher who came from southern Egypt to join the pro-Morsi rally, remained steadfast.
'Even if we are going to die, me and my family, we won't leave this place before our president comes back. Even if it takes seven years. We are ready to be martyrs in the name of religion and the nation,' he said
'Even if we are going to die, me and my family, we won't leave this place before our president comes back. Even if it takes seven years. We are ready to be martyrs in the name of religion and the nation,' he said
No comments:
Post a Comment