FYI
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Cairo marches cancelled over safety concerns
Muslim Brotherhood claims snipers had been placed along routes of anti-military
protests planned for capital.
Last Modified: 18 Aug 2013 14:33
The Muslim Brotherhood says it has cancelled protests in Cairo, claiming that
army snipers had being placed on buildings along the planned routes.
Protesters had been preparing to return to the streets on Sunday following
calls for fresh demonstrations against the interim, military-backed government.
However, the Brotherhood said there were fears about safety.
Al Jazeera's D Parvaz said Muslim Brotherhood officials told her the marches
were cancelled due to "presence of army snipers on buildings on the routes".
The group also cancelled a press conference that was planned for Saturday
evening.
The AP news agency said security had been increased on Sunday around the the
Supreme Constitutional Court building in southern Cairo, in anticipation of the
protests.
Meanwhile, Egypt's interim Cabinet was understood to be holding a closed
meeting to discuss the crisis in the country. Adly Mansour, the interim
president, has put forward a proposal to legally dissolve the Brotherhood.
International criticism of bloodshed in recent days has mounted, with Germany
and Qatar jointly condemning the "brutal violence" and Ban Ki-moon, the UN
chief, urging "maximum restraint" at what he termed a dangerous moment for
Egypt.
The foreign minister, Nabil Fahmy, rejected the criticism, saying on Egyptian
TV that measures had to be taken to "confront terror against the people",
In a statement, the army chief and defence minister, Abdel el-Sisi, praised the
"honorable role played by the armed forces and police ... to protect national
security". He added that the military had no intention of seizing power.
The siege of the Fateh Mosque near Ramses Square began on Friday, with security
forces surrounding the building where anti-coup protesters were sheltering and
trying to convince them to leave.
By Saturday afternoon, the situation turned violent, with witness accounts at
the scene saying armed men inside the mosque were trading fire with police
outside.
Police eventually dragged people from inside the mosque, shooting in the air to
hold back residents who tried to attack supporters of the Brotherhood with
sticks and iron bars.
Both outside the mosque and in other parts of Cairo, residents targeted those
suspected of being part of the Brotherhood, often for no more than wearing a
beard or a veil.
The government said violence on Friday left at least 173 people dead, including
95 in the capital and 25 in Alexandria. Among those killed on Friday was a son
of Mohamed Badie, the supreme guide of the Brotherhood.
The Interior Ministry said it had arrested 1,004 Brotherhood "elements" during
the unrest, and on Saturday security sources said the brother of Ayman
al-Zawahiri, al-Qaeda's chief, had been detained.
Source:
Al Jazeera
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