Egypt

Clashes erupt at Egypt presidential palace

More than 200 people injured as supporters and opponents of President Morsi clash in Cairo

Al-Jazeera,

5 December, 2012

Supporters of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi have clashed with opposition protesters outside the presidential palace in Cairo, with at least 211 people injured, according to health officials.

A small group of opposition activists have been camped outside the palace since Tuesday night, when tens of thousands rallied against a controversial decree which gives Morsi near-absolute power.

Supporters of the president marched to the palace on Wednesday and tore down the opposition's tents. Witnesses said they threw stones and used clubs to attack demonstrators, and there were reports of petrol bombs being thrown. Opposition protesters were driven away from the palace and fled down side streets.

There were unconfirmed reports in local media that two people had been killed in the fighting.

Thirty-two people were arrested, according to a statement from the interior ministry. The Muslim Brotherhood office in Ismailia was set on fire, as were the offices of the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party in Suez.

Both sides blamed the other for starting the clashes: Opposition leaders said Morsi was responsible for the bloodshed, while senior Muslim Brotherhood officials accused the opposition of "inciting violence."

Morsi left the palace during Tuesday's protest, but was back at work the next morning, according to a spokesman. He did not make any public appearances on Wednesday, but his prime minister, Hisham Qandil, issued a brief statement calling for calm "to give the opportunity for the efforts being made now to begin a national dialogue".

The violence escalates a two-week-old political standoff in Egypt, which began with Morsi's November 22 decree, which shielded his decisions from judicial oversight.

Hours after the clashes began, a spokesman for the Brotherhood called on protesters to leave. Mahmoud Ghozlan said both sides should "withdraw at the same time and pledge not to return there, given the symbolism of the palace".

'There must be consensus'

The crisis continues to divide Morsi's government. Four of Morsi's advisers resigned in protest on Wednesday. Saif Abdelfattah, one of the president's political advisers, quit during a live interview with Al Jazeera, blaming the "mummified" political culture in Egypt for his departure.

Two other top Morsi aides resigned last week, including Samir Morcos, a prominent Coptic Christian scholar.

The decree issued by Morsi barred the courts from dissolving the controversial 100-member constituent assembly which has been drafting a new constitution. A final draft of the document was sent to Morsi last week, and it is scheduled to face a public referendum on December 15.

Critics say the draft does not protect the rights of women and minorities, and grants too much power to Egypt's military.

While protesters battled outside, Vice President Mahmoud Mekki held a news conference inside the palace and tried to calm the situation.

He urged the opposition to rein in street protests, and said political groups could agree on a plan to amend contentious articles after a new parliament is elected in 2013. He called for "communication between political forces" on the document.

"There must be consensus," he said. "There is real political will to pass the current period and respond to the demands of the public."

'Lost the moral legitimacy'

Mekki also said the government will not delay the referendum - a key demand of the opposition - nor will Morsi revoke his decree.

But the offer - which Mekki described as more of a trial balloon - was quickly dismissed by Egypt's opposition, because it basically amounts to an informal promise to fix things in the future. The country's democratically elected parliament was dissolved by court order this year, and new representatives will not be voted in until after the constitution is approved.

A group of prominent opposition leaders, including Mohamed ElBaradei, Hamdeen Sabbahi and Amr Moussa, held their press conference in Cairo on Wednesday night and dismissed Mekki's offer. ElBaradei said the opposition is open to dialogue, but not until Morsi revokes his decree.

All three men blamed Morsi for the violence outside the presidential palace. "He has lost the moral legitimacy to lead Egypt," said Sabbahi, who placed third in the presidential election earlier this year.

But the Muslim Brotherhood quickly turned around and blamed their opponents for the clashes. Gehad el-Haddad, a senior adviser to the Freedom and Justice Party, accused the three opposition leaders of "inciting violence".

"It's very sad to see opposition leaders such as ElBaradei, Hamdeen and Amr Moussa to resort to such levels of talk," he told Al Jazeera. "Such disrespect to the sanctity of peaceful protesting, within the context of democracy, is very alarming."

CBC, a private Egyptian channel, reported that the Muslim Brotherhood is planning a "million-man" rally on Friday in support of the president, but the location is not yet confirmed.

There was little international reaction to the clashes. The US state department, in a brief statement, declined to criticise any one party for the violence.

"We continue to call on demonstrators and political parties to take all possible measures to avoid confrontation and violence," a spokesman said.