Egypt deploys troops to Suez to quell 'out of control' clashes
updated 11:40 AM EST, Sat January 26, 2013
Thousands flood Tahrir Square in protest
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- NEW: At least 30 people are killed in the Port Said clashes
- NEW: Clashes in Cairo extend to areas around the Shura Council
- Armored vehicles and soldiers deploy to Suez after clashes there
- President Morsy meets with his defense council over the violence
The clashes in the
northeastern city of Port Said came after a judge sentenced 21 people to
death for their roles in a football game riot last year.
Angry relatives of those
convicted clashed with security forces outside the prison, leaving at
least 30 dead and more than 300 wounded, the head of Port Said hospitals
told state-run Nile TV. Two police officers were among the dead, he
said.
About 90 miles south of
Port Said, in the gulf city of Suez, the government deployed troops
Saturday to quell clashes that erupted a day earlier on the second
anniversary of the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak.
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The clashes between
anti-government protesters and those loyal to President Mohamed Morsy
prompted the head of provincial security to declare the region "out of
control."
Brig. Gen. Adel Refat
requested armed forces to intervene after he said police were fired
upon, state-run EGYNews reported. Protesters accused Egyptian forces of
opening fire during the demonstrations, a claim Refat strongly denied.
By Saturday morning,
according to official Egyptian news agencies, armored military vehicles
were deployed throughout Suez, a city of about 500,000 on the northern
tip of the Gulf of Suez.
Meanwhile, in Cairo,
clashes extended to areas around the Shura Council, the upper house of
parliament. Protesters overnight were in a standoff outside the Nile TV
offices, with some tossing Molotov cocktails and police responding with
tear gas.
Friday saw clashes in
Ismalia, just north of Suez on the Suez Canal, where protesters torched
the main office of the Freedom and Justice Party, the political wing of
the Muslim Brotherhood, state TV reported.
Saturday's events came
as Morsy met with his defense council over how to calm the unrest. Prime
Minister Hesham Kandil vowed to hold perpetrators accountable,
according to state-run MENA.
The Suez Canal Authority
said navigation was not affected by the Port Said clashes and that the
canal's northern entrance was secure, according to state media.
Nationwide, more than
450 protesters and nearly 100 members of security forces were hurt in
demonstrations that marked the two-year anniversary of the Mubarak
uprising.
The weekend unrest in
Egypt is the latest in violent demonstrations that have targeted Morsy.
Before he came to power he led the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamist
group that was banned under Mubarak.
The protests erupted
late last year when Morsy issued an unpopular edict allowing him to run
the country unchecked until the drafting of a new constitution. Morsy
said the powers were necessary and temporary, but they sat uncomfortably
with many Egyptians, who said it reminded them of Mubarak's rule.
Morsy rescinded the ruling after thousands came out to protest, but the demonstrations have continued.
The fatal clashes in
Port Said started after some of the defendants' relatives attempted to
storm the prison to free their loved ones, Brig. Gen. Osama Ismail, a
spokesman for the Interior Ministry, told state-run Nile TV.
The armed forces sent troops to secure public buildings in Port Said and restore calm, according to state media.
The football game riot
broke out a year ago after Port Said-based Al-Masry defeated Cairo's
Al-Ahly. About 22,000 people were inside the stadium, including about
2,000 Al-Ahly fans, authorities said.
Fans from both sides
bashed each other with rocks and chairs. Many of those who died fell
from the bleachers during the melee inside the stadium, while others
suffocated.
It was unclear whether
intense sports rivalries or political strife sparked the riots, though
witnesses said tension was building through the game with Port Said fans
throwing bottles and rocks at the Cairo players.
Minutes after Saturday's
ruling -- which the Port Said provincial court had to issue in Cairo
because of security concerns -- victims' relatives praised the verdict.
"Justice has been
served," said one man who was crying. "My oldest son was killed -- 37
years old, married with two kids. I am so happy -- the whole family will
celebrate today."
"I finally felt that I
am in a civilized country!" an emotional woman said. "My son (did)
nothing wrong! But my son's legacy will live on because of the true
justice served here."
Journalist Ramy Francis and CNN's Reza Sayah
reported from Cairo; CNN's Amir Ahmed reported Atlanta; CNN's Chelsea
J. Carter and Hamdi Alkhshali contributed to this report.
end quote from:
Egypt explodes in turmoil; 22 deadDoes this remind anyone else of Syria a couple of years ago? I think the main problem here is not Mubarak and not really even Morsi. It is overpopulation and having reached the practicable level of feeding, clothing and housing and getting jobs to everyone. Egypt is a 3000 to 5000 year old civilization. If it can happen here it can potentially happen in China or almost anywhere on earth. This demonstrates how the ideal demographic of sustainability has now met the practicable demographic of sustainability. I think the Morsi Government and potentially all future governments in Egypt might either fall or not succeed in the same way. I don't know if I see a long term solution to this problem anywhere in the middle east unless the country has oil reserves to be able to buy food from other areas for their people. And because big businesses worldwide will now even more run from Egypt because of a Syrian like turmoil there Egypt appears to be auguring in financially a lot like Syria recently did. The only things keeping Assad in Syria going likely are money and other help from Russia, Iran and likely China.
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