Witnesses say Muslim Brotherhood supporters stormed sit-in by 300 anti-Morsi protesters outside Egypt's presidential palace
guardian.co.uk,
Scuffles outside the presidential palace in Cairo. Photograph: Mahmoud Khaled/AFP/Getty Images
Egyptian protesters demonstrating against Mohamed Morsi's
assumption of sweeping powers have clashed with the president's
supporters in Cairo, as Morsi's deputy predicted a imminent breakthrough
in resolving the crisis over the country's draft constitution.
The US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, expressed concern about the unrest, urging urgent dialogue between the sides.
Witnesses said Muslim Brotherhood supporters stormed a sit-in by about 300 opponents of Morsi outside the presidential palace, beating participants and destroying tents. Rocks were thrown and people fought with sticks.
The Nobel laureate Mohamed ElBaradei, who helped form the National Salvation Front coalition to co-ordinate opposition to the president's declaration, accused Morsi's supporters of a "vicious attack" on peaceful protesters, who he said were afforded no protection by police.
He said that the president should protect protesters to preserve "what remains of his legitimacy". It was ElBaradei's Constitution party that had announced the sit-in outside the palace, and another mass rally is planned for Friday. The Brotherhood's political arm, the Freedom of Justice party, had called on its Facebook page for a counter-protest in response to the sit-in.
It was the second successive day of clashes outside the palace. On Tuesday security forces fired teargas to disperse protesters.
The vice-president, Mahmoud Mekky, said a referendum on the draft constitution would go ahead on 15 December, despite opponents claiming Morsi was attempting to rush the document through.
"I am completely confident that if not in the coming hours, in the next few days we will reach a breakthrough in the crisis and consensus," he said. He denied the president's office was a party to any street violence.
Clinton said the unrest showed that dialogue between the two sides was "urgently needed". She called for a constitutional process that was "open, transparent and fair and does not unduly favour one group over any other".
The US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, expressed concern about the unrest, urging urgent dialogue between the sides.
Witnesses said Muslim Brotherhood supporters stormed a sit-in by about 300 opponents of Morsi outside the presidential palace, beating participants and destroying tents. Rocks were thrown and people fought with sticks.
The Nobel laureate Mohamed ElBaradei, who helped form the National Salvation Front coalition to co-ordinate opposition to the president's declaration, accused Morsi's supporters of a "vicious attack" on peaceful protesters, who he said were afforded no protection by police.
He said that the president should protect protesters to preserve "what remains of his legitimacy". It was ElBaradei's Constitution party that had announced the sit-in outside the palace, and another mass rally is planned for Friday. The Brotherhood's political arm, the Freedom of Justice party, had called on its Facebook page for a counter-protest in response to the sit-in.
It was the second successive day of clashes outside the palace. On Tuesday security forces fired teargas to disperse protesters.
The vice-president, Mahmoud Mekky, said a referendum on the draft constitution would go ahead on 15 December, despite opponents claiming Morsi was attempting to rush the document through.
"I am completely confident that if not in the coming hours, in the next few days we will reach a breakthrough in the crisis and consensus," he said. He denied the president's office was a party to any street violence.
Clinton said the unrest showed that dialogue between the two sides was "urgently needed". She called for a constitutional process that was "open, transparent and fair and does not unduly favour one group over any other".
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