Egypt army erects barriers at Cairo presidential palace

BBC News online - 6 December 2012

The BBC's Nick Childs: "The military will be hoping that this defuses tensions"

The Egyptian army has set up barricades outside the presidential palace, after ordering protesters to leave the area.

It follows violent overnight clashes between supporters and opponents of President Mohammed Morsi that left five people dead and 644 injured.

Most protesters left the palace by the 15:00 (13:00 GMT) deadline, though some opposition activists remained.

Meanwhile, Egypt's top Islamic body has called on the president to suspend his decree claiming sweeping powers.

The Al-Azhar institution also demanded an unconditional dialogue between the president and his opponents.

Mr Morsi is expected to address the nation on Thursday evening.

The BBC's Jon Leyne in Cairo says this move by one of the most respected bodies in Sunni Islam has put President Morsi - who was largely brought to power by the powerful Islamist Muslim Brotherhood - under more pressure.

But he adds that it is difficult to see what compromise is possible between President Morsi and the opposition.

EGYPT'S MOUNTING CRISIS

Nov 22 President Morsi issues decree assuming sweeping new powers, dismisses prosecutor general
Nov 23 Protests against president's new powers begin, including a sit-in at Tahrir Square
Nov 30 Islamist-dominated constituent assembly adopts controversial draft constitution
Dec 1 Islamists rally in support of president's new powers after tens of thousands of Morsi opponents converge on Tahrir Square
Dec 2 Supreme Constitutional Court suspends work after being prevented by Morsi supporters from ruling on the legitimacy of the constituent assembly
Dec 2 Judges Club, representing judges across the country, announces it will not supervise referendum on draft constitution
Dec 5 Violent clashes outside presidential palace in Cairo

The president adopted new powers in the decree on 22 November, and stripped the judiciary of any power to challenge his decisions.

Mr Morsi, who narrowly won Egypt's first free presidential election in June, says he will give up his new powers once a new constitution is ratified.

But there is also controversy over the proposed constitution. Critics say the draft was rushed through parliament without proper consultation and does not do enough to protect political and religious freedoms and the rights of women.

The government insists that a referendum on the draft constitution, drawn up by a body dominated by Morsi-supporting Islamists, will go ahead this month despite strong opposition.

Four of his advisers resigned on Wednesday - three others did so last week and the official Mena news agency reported a further resignation on Thursday.

The UN's human rights chief, Navi Pillay has urged respect for the right to peaceful protest.
"The current government came to power on the back of similar protests and so should be particularly sensitive to the need to protect protesters' rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly," Reuters quoted her as saying.

Tanks and armoured troop carriers were deployed outside the presidential palace on Thursday morning following the overnight clashes between the pro-Morsi Muslim Brotherhood supporters and his mainly secular opponents.

Egyptian media reaction

Pro-government newspaper Al-Ahram: "We would not have minded if the military council had tightened its grip to preserve security, but to the contrary it began to design an unbalanced political course creating great controversy among the political elite."

Opposition Al-Wafd newspaper: "What the Muslim Brotherhood is doing in Egypt in the present enjoys no support but that of its followers and the terrorist groups who share the same ideology."

English-language Egyptian Gazette: Morsi's legacy may be one of "polarisation leading to civil war... Egypt will have a new constitution written by a minority of fanatics while the vast majority of Egyptians will have been marginalised".

The head of Egypt's Republican Guard said the forces had been sent there to separate the rival protesters.

Following a meeting between the president and military commanders, the 13:00 GMT deadline to clear the area round the palace was set. A ban on all protests in the area has also been ordered.

But the commander of the Republican Guard, Maj Gen Mohammed Zaki, said the security forces "will not be a tool to crush protesters", telling Mena: "No force will be used against Egyptians."

The Muslim Brotherhood supporters left the square before the deadline, but a few dozen opposition supporters remained in place. The scene was calm, however, and there was no sign of any attempt to breach the military's barriers.

The opposition has said it will continue to hold demonstrations.

"We are planning marches later today, most probably taking off from Tahrir Square, disregarding the Republican Guard's decision," said an unnamed member of the National Salvation Front, a recently formed group which has united some of the most prominent anti-Morsi figures.

"We had many injuries last night, and we are not going to have their blood wasted."

Our correspondent says the clashes between supporters and opponents of Egypt's new president are possibly the most dangerous development in Egypt's growing political crisis.

He says the violence, which opposition leaders accused the Muslim Brotherhood movement of organising, was ominously reminiscent of the tactics used by former President Hosni Mubarak during the revolution.

Disorder was also reported in other cities on Wednesday, with Muslim Brotherhood offices attacked in Ismailia and Suez.