[CNN]
Clashes turn deadly outside Egyptian palace
By Michael Pearson and Laura Smith-Spark, CNN
December 5, 2012 -- Updated 1942 GMT (0342 HKT)
CNN.com
Cairo (CNN) -- Tensions spiked Wednesday in deadly clashes between steadfast
supporters and livid opponents of Egypt's president, a signal that more
troubles could be on the way.
Three advisers to President Mohammed Morsy resigned, objecting to his recent
edict granting himself more powers.
"We have failed to convince President Morsy to reverse his decree," Ayman
al-Sayad, Seif Abdel Fattah, and Mohammed Esmat said in a statement. "He has
rejected all our suggestions and initiatives that may have avoided the cycle of
violence we are witnessing today."
State-run Nile TV reported that masked men set fire to the headquarters of the
Muslim Brotherhood in the town of Zaqzig in eastern Egypt. Morsy was a leader
of the brotherhood before he officially resigned from the party after winning
the presidential election.
The unrest comes as Egypt -- a crucial player in its unstable region -- lurches
anxiously toward a December 15 referendum on a new constitution.
Days of Tahrir Square protests, which have been largely peaceful, gave way to
an intense standoff outside the presidential palace, bringing anger over
President Mohamed Morsy's leadership into sharp and sometimes violent focus.
In what was clearly the ugliest night since protests resumed weeks ago, pro-
and anti-Morsy demonstrators tossed rocks, fireworks and Molotov cocktails
after Morsy supporters chased angry protesters from the grounds.
Two people died and at least four people were injured, the Ministry of Health
said.
Protesters are angry with Morsy for his recent edict granting himself
presidential powers, and over the proposed constitution -- drafted by an
Islamist-dominated council -- that they fear will only give the president even
more powers.
What Morsy "is doing is completely unfair," one protester told CNN's Reza
Sayah. "This is not what we asked for. It's a complete dictatorship."
Other protesters vowed to remain until Morsy is forced to leave office. "He's
not our president anymore," another protester said.
But the powerful Muslim Brotherhood, which helped propel Morsy to power and
backs him, called the protesters "thugs" who were trying to bring down the
nation's first democratically elected president.
"By the grace of God, the Egyptian people will be able to protect this
legitimacy, its constitution and its institutions," the group said on its
Facebook page.
Opposition leaders are prepared to start talking with Morsy if he withdraws his
edict and delays the referendum, said Mohamed ElBaradei, leader of the liberal
Constitution Party.
But Vice President Mahmoud Mekki said the referendum will be held as planned.
"Saying the referendum will be held on time is not being stubborn," he said.
"The president has backtracked from decisions before; he's not a stubborn
character."
Morsy's decree placed his decisions out of the reach of courts until a new
constitution is approved. He said the move was designed to protect the spirit
of the popular 2011 uprising that drove former strongman Hosni Mubarak from
power.
Critics call it an unprecedented power grab.
In addition to liberal political groups, Egyptian judges and media outlets have
also protested Morsy's decree and the proposed constitution, saying it goes
against the goals of the revolution that toppled Mubarak.
How the political power struggle plays out will have repercussions across the
Middle East and North Africa, regions already wracked with trouble. In nearby
Gaza and Israel, tensions remain high after last month's fighting. In Syria, a
civil war still rages.
The protests have become increasingly tense despite calls from the presidential
office urging calm.
Wednesday's fatal standoff followed clashes Tuesday outside the palace, where
the focus of protests seems to have shifted as anger among Egypt's liberal
opposition coalesces around Morsy's reign.
On Tuesday night, police fired tear gas after anti-Morsy protesters broke
through barbed wire around the palace building and hurled chairs and rocks at
retreating officers. After the initial clashes, police withdrew behind fences
and the large demonstration was peaceful for several hours.
Thirty-one protesters were injured overnight, said Health Ministry spokesman
Khaled al-Khataib. At least 40 police officers were injured in clashes outside
the palace, Interior Ministry spokesman Alaa Mahmoud said.
Yassir Ali, a spokesman for the presidential office and the vice president,
told reporters Wednesday that the presidential office had ordered the security
forces at the palace "to protect the protesters and keep them safe."
"The orders to the security forces were not to confront (them), (but) to
preserve the lives of the protesters and to prevent any clashes between the
security forces and the protesters," Ali said.
CNN's Reza Sayah and journalists Mohamed Fadel Fahmy and Sarah Sirgany reported
from Cairo, CNN's Joe Sterling, Saad Abedine and Yousuf Basil reported from
Atlanta, and Sarah Brown reported from London.
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All
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