Egypt Army Seals Off Presidential Palace as Protesters Remain
World | December 6, 2012, Thursday| 401 views
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A general view shows a tank and armoured vehicle blocking anti-President Mohamed Morsi protesters gathering near the presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt, 06 December 2012. Photo by EPA/BGNES
At least four tanks were deployed outside the Egyptian presidential palace in Cairo on Thursday after overnight clashes between supporters and opponents of President Mohamed Morsi.
The fierce overnight clashes left five people dead and over 600 injured.
The Egyptian army set up barbed wire barricades some 150 meters away from the palace, after ordering protesters to leave the area, according to reports of the BBC News.
Opposition leaders have accused the Muslim Brotherhood of organizing the violence.
The protesters demand that Morsi rescind a decree passed in late November which granted him wide-ranging new powers.
The opponents of the Egyptian President also insist that he withdraw a controversial draft constitution which was was rushed through parliament without proper consultation last week.
Morsi adopted sweeping new powers in a decree on 22 November, stripping the judiciary of any power to challenge his decisions.
The Egyptian President, who narrowly won the country's first free presidential election in June, has vowed to surrender his special powers once a new constitution is ratified.
Tags: Egypt, Muslim Brotherhood, Mohamed Morsi, Egyptian President, Egyptian Army, constitution
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