Police forces in Qena, Upper Egypt, fired tear gas to disperse limited scuffles between supporters and opponents of deposed president Mohamed Morsi late on Friday.
Clashes reportedly broke out between the two groups in the city centre after several marches took to the streets in support of Morsi’s ouster, while others called for his reinstatement.
Earlier, two people – a woman and a child – were killed in clashes between the former presidents’ supporters and opponents in Egypt’s Nile Delta city of Mansoura. At least seven others were injured.
Rival marches have been taking place nationwide on Friday.
In the Suez Canal city of Ismailia, supporters of the deposed president, mainly Muslim Brotherhood members from which he hails, took to the streets, like many nationwide, condemning what they say was a military coup against the country’s first democratically elected leader.
They chanted against military commander-in-chief and defence Minister Abdel Fattah El-Sisi as the army deposed Morsi on 3 July amid mass nationwide protests against him. Head of High Constitutional Court Adly Mansour was sworn in as interim president.
Protesters went out of the Salehein Mosque after the evening (Isha) prayers and chanted, “Listen to us Sisi, Morsi is our president” and “Leave, Sisi!”
They called for Morsi’s reinstatement as president.
Meanwhile, rival anti-Morsi protesters also marched in the city to celebrate the gains of the 30 June protests that ousted Morsi. They reportedly held up posters of El-Sisi and chanted, “the people and the army are one hand.”
This group of demonstrators went out in a march from Al-Fardous Square to the governorate’s headquarters also after the evening prayers. They chanted against the Brotherhood saying they “deceived the people in the name of religion”.
Similarly, thousands marched in Damietta, Nile Delta, on Friday evening against the Muslim Brotherhood.
Supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi protested across Egypt’s governorates including Mediterranean city of Alexandria, Gharbiya and Sharqiya of the Nile Delta and Fayoum, Beni Suef and Assiut of Upper Egypt.
In Cairo, they took to Rabaa Al-Adawiya Mosque in Nasr City where a large sit-in has been taking place since June. Other marches converged outside Cairo University in Giza early Friday afternoon, an area that has hosted many pro-Morsi rallies over the past weeks.
Anti-Morsi protesters gathered in Cairo’s central Tahrir Square and the Ittihadeya Presidential palace in Heliopolis.
Source : Ahram
