American Killed in Clashes in Egypt

Two people, including one American, were killed in clashes between supporters and opponents of President Mohammed Morsi in Alexandria.

By Elad Benari, Canada -- Arutz Sheva 7

First Publish: 6/28/2013, 9:05 PM / Last Update: 6/28/2013, 11:23 PM

Anti-Morsi protesters in Tahrir square in Cairo

Reuters

 

An American citizen was killed in the Egyptian port city of Alexandria on Friday during clashes between supporters and opponents of President Mohammed Morsi, Al-Ahram reported.

A total of two people were killed in the city on Friday, the report said, the second victim being an Egyptian man.

The American man died from a stab wound to the chest, according to Amin Ezz El-Din, head of Alexandria's security directorate.

Ezz El-Din told Al-Ahram that the young American had been taking pictures with his mobile phone near one of the offices of the Muslim Brotherhood, the group from which President Morsi hails, when he was attacked by unknown assailants.

The victim was rushed to a military hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. The man, whose name remains unconfirmed, reportedly worked as a journalistic photographer.

The state-owned news agency MENA reported earlier that 70 people who were injured in the Alexandria clashes were being treated at the hospital.

Al-Ahram reported that the offices of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) in the Alexandrian district of Sidi Gabr were set on fire, leading to 40 injuries.

Thousands of Egyptians also gathered in Cairo on Friday, reported Al Arabiya, in two opposing mass rallies, one calling for Morsi’s ouster and another showing support for the embattled Islamist president.

Opponents of Morsi poured into the iconic Tahrir Square, waving flags and chanting “leave.”

Protests against Morsi took place in other parts of Cairo, including the districts of Shubra, Sayeda Zeinab and Mohandesseen, according to Al Arabiya.

Abdullah al-Senawi, a leftist activist and a leader of the opposition National Salvation Front, told Al Arabiya that Morsi has proven to be “untrustworthy,” and should be removed through street action.

Morsi cannot be overthrown through institutional means because he has jeopardized state institutions, Senawi added.

Supporters of the president gathered in Cairo’s Nasr City district, vowing an “open rally” to protect his “legitimacy,” reported the network.

On Wednesday, the army deployed troop reinforcements and armored vehicles near several cities, and has threatened to intervene if violence flares to prevent Egypt from entering a “dark tunnel.”

Army chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has urged the rival camps to talk and reach a resolution to prevent violence.

On Thursday, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood was shot dead in an attack on the group's office in the Nile Delta town of Zakazik.

The news was carried by the official website of FJP, which blamed an opposition youth group and people loyal to ousted president Hosni Mubarak for the attack.

Morsi’s opponents are planning a huge rally in Tahrir Square on Sunday, June 30, the one year anniversary of Morsi's inauguration. Since then, protesters say, the Egyptian economy has gone from bad to worse. The increasing influence of Islamic fundamentalism inspired by Morsi has done an excellent job of keeping tourists away from Egypt, denying the country one of its most important sources of hard currency.

On Wednesday, ahead of the protests, Morsi gave a speech in which he warned that political polarization in Egypt is threatening the country’s democracy.

He admitted during the speech that he has “erred in some decisions” while being correct in others, the report said.

Speaking to a large crowd of Islamist supporters, Morsi said he has an “obligation” to correct his mistakes, adding he is standing before his audience as a “citizen” while emphasizing Egypt was his responsibility.

Tags: Cairo ,Egypt ,clashes ,Mohammed Morsi ,Alexandria ,Muslim Brothrhood