Egypt Islamists mark anniversary of mass killing

MAGGIE MICHAEL
Associated Press

CAIRO (AP) — At least three people were killed Thursday as Egyptian security forces quashed small, scattered demonstrations by Islamist supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi marking the anniversary of the killing of hundreds of protesters.

A protester and another person were shot dead when police and local residents clashed with protesters in Cairo’s busy Mohandiseen district, a security official said, adding that nine people had been detained. A third person was killed in clashes between security forces and protesters in the Matariya neighborhood, a police official said.

In Egypt’s second largest city of Alexandria, a one-time Islamist stronghold, security forces used tear gas to disperse three small protests after demonstrators set tires alight and blocked main roads while chanting against the military. At least 10 protesters were arrested, the security official said.

Another security official said assailants set fire to electrical facilities in the Nile Delta town of Abu Hamad. All three officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press.

After the military overthrew Morsi last summer amid massive demonstrations against his divisive yearlong rule, authorities waged a sweeping crackdown on his Muslim Brotherhood movement and other Islamists, with hundreds killed in street clashes and tens of thousands detained.

The deadliest such incident was exactly one year ago, when security forces dispersed two large pro-Morsi sit-ins in the Cairo intersections of Rabaah el-Adawiya and Nahda, setting off clashes and killing hundreds of demonstrators in the worst mass killing in modern Egyptian history.

Human Rights Watch released a lengthy report this week documenting the dispersal, saying security forces likely committed crimes against humanity and comparing the incident to China’s Tiananmen Square massacre. The rights group called for a U.N. investigation into the role of President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi — who was military chief at the time — and other officials in the killings.

Authorities have blamed the Brotherhood for a string of attacks on security forces and have branded it a terrorist organization. The group denies the allegations, insisting it is committed to using protests and other peaceful means to bring about the reinstatement of Morsi, who has been jailed along with virtually the entire top leadership of the movement.

Pro-Morsi demonstrations have waned in recent months as security forces have moved aggressively to break up public gatherings. El-Sissi was elected in May by a large majority in a vote boycotted by Morsi’s supporters.

Security forces were on high alert Thursday, with armored vehicles and barbed wire sealing off streets leading to the presidential palace and riot police stationed across the capital’s bridges and main roads.

Authorities have accused Morsi supporters of attacking the country’s infrastructure, including police vehicles, government buildings, power facilities and communication towers, and of planting bombs in subway trains.

Most of the deadly attacks over the past year have targeted security forces, with more radical Islamic groups claiming responsibility.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Federal News Network Logo
Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you.

Sign up