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Occupy Cairo to be cleaned out...
Egypts military-backed government on Wednesday or-dered the police to clear two Cairo protest camps packed with supporters of ousted President Mohammed Mursi, saying they posed a threat to national security and were terrorising citizens.The move signalled an imminent crackdown against the heavily barricaded sit-ins -- one outside a mosque in eastern Cairo and another on the other side of the city near the main Cairo University campus -- and raised the prospect of more violence after clashes broke out during previous action against the mainly Islamist protesters. More than 260 people have been killed since Mursi was ousted by the military on July 3, leaving the country between those calling for his reinstatement and millions who marched against him and his Muslim Brotherhood in a show of support for the new political order. Police have been instructed to end the protests within the law and the constitution, Information Minister Dorreya Sharaf El Din said in a televised statement, although she did not specify a timeframe. Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim, who is in charge of the police, said the disbanding of the sit-ins will be carried out in gradu-al steps according to orders from prosecutors. I hope they (Mursi supporters) resort to reason and leave without authorities having to move in, he told the Associated Press in a telephone interview. Posted by: Steve White 2013-08-02 |
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