President seen leaving Cairo palace in convoy as opponents gather to condemn assumption of new powers
Abdel-Rahman Hussein in Cairo
guardian.co.uk,
A Egyptian woman prays
in front of members of the security forces as they lay out barbed wire
along streets leading to the presidential palace. Photograph: AFP/Getty
Egyptian security forces have clashed with opponents of Mohamed Morsi outside the presidential palace in Cairo to protest against his assumption of new powers.
The march came amid rising anger over decrees Morsi has passed that give him sweeping powers. Opponents say the drafting of a new constitution has been rushed and is a move towards dictatorial rule. Morsi has called for a referendum on the draft constitution on 15 December.
Marchers chanted that "the people want the downfall of the regime", and held placards bearing slogans of "no to the constitution".
One witness said he had seen Morsi's convoy leave the palace from a side gate during the clashes. He said: "I was part of the Abbasiya march. When the fighting started, a lot of teargas was fired and we were pushed back. The babrbed wire barricade was opened, a convoy of cars left the palace, and then we were allowed to come closer. After that, we entered the street."
The near-daily protests represent Egypt's worst political crisis since Hosni Mubarak, was ousted, nearly two years ago. Since then, the country has been divided into two, with Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood alongside ultraconservative Salafi Islamists on one side, and youth groups and more liberal organisations on the other.
Security forces cordoned the palace off with barbed wire, at which most protesters stopped to chant slogans against Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood.
On a cordoned-off side street, security forces clashed with a section of the protesters and fired teargas to disperse them.
The security forces then abruptly withdrew, leaving an empty police truck that protesters climbed up on to as people filled the street. Members of the forces that were left behind were escorted away before they could be set upon.
Other protesters milled about in the gardens surrounding the gates of the presidential palace.
A few hundred protesters also gathered near Morsi's house, in a suburb east of Cairo, chanting slogans against his decree and against the Muslim Brotherhood, from which he emerged to win the presidential election in June.
As the crisis from Morsi's decree and the subsequent furore over the referendum continues, further schisms were apparent within the judiciary when the judges of the state council refused to supervise the referendum. Their announcement came a day after the judiciary's highest body, the state judicial council, announced that Egypt's judges would do so.
The march came amid rising anger over decrees Morsi has passed that give him sweeping powers. Opponents say the drafting of a new constitution has been rushed and is a move towards dictatorial rule. Morsi has called for a referendum on the draft constitution on 15 December.
Marchers chanted that "the people want the downfall of the regime", and held placards bearing slogans of "no to the constitution".
One witness said he had seen Morsi's convoy leave the palace from a side gate during the clashes. He said: "I was part of the Abbasiya march. When the fighting started, a lot of teargas was fired and we were pushed back. The babrbed wire barricade was opened, a convoy of cars left the palace, and then we were allowed to come closer. After that, we entered the street."
The near-daily protests represent Egypt's worst political crisis since Hosni Mubarak, was ousted, nearly two years ago. Since then, the country has been divided into two, with Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood alongside ultraconservative Salafi Islamists on one side, and youth groups and more liberal organisations on the other.
Security forces cordoned the palace off with barbed wire, at which most protesters stopped to chant slogans against Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood.
On a cordoned-off side street, security forces clashed with a section of the protesters and fired teargas to disperse them.
The security forces then abruptly withdrew, leaving an empty police truck that protesters climbed up on to as people filled the street. Members of the forces that were left behind were escorted away before they could be set upon.
Other protesters milled about in the gardens surrounding the gates of the presidential palace.
A few hundred protesters also gathered near Morsi's house, in a suburb east of Cairo, chanting slogans against his decree and against the Muslim Brotherhood, from which he emerged to win the presidential election in June.
As the crisis from Morsi's decree and the subsequent furore over the referendum continues, further schisms were apparent within the judiciary when the judges of the state council refused to supervise the referendum. Their announcement came a day after the judiciary's highest body, the state judicial council, announced that Egypt's judges would do so.
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