Egypt’s government on Friday told police to prevent the thousands of protesters that have been staging street sit-ins to support former President Mohammed Morsi from accessing their camps.
The sit-ins have encompassed large portions of Cairo, focused on Nahda Square and the Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque. And they’ve not been exactly peaceful.
More than 100 have been killed in clashes with police since the controversial military coup of Mr. Morsi, with Muslim Brotherhood supporters insisting they’re not going home until their former president is returned to power.
Shortly after the police were ordered to take steps to clear the streets of protesters, Human Rights Watch warned the nation to “avoid another bloodbath,” the BBC reported.
More than 30 separate protest marchers made their way to the mosque, at the seat of the country’s governing power, for a mass sit-in on Friday. Egyptian authorities are calling the rallies a national security threat and say the protesters — some of whom have camped in the streets for weeks, since Mr. Morsi’s July 3 ouster — must go.
The stage is set for continued violence, however. Protesters insist they’re not leaving.
“All revolutionary groups, including the [Anti-Coup Pro-Democracy Alliance] also announce that they do not recognize the coup government or its decisions or negotiations,” the group said, in a statement reported by BBC. The group also said it put “full responsibility on the coup leaders for any acts of violence or killings.”
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.