Protests In Egypt Leave Several Dead On Anniversary Of Uprising

At least nine people were killed during protests in Egypt on Friday during the anniversary of the uprising that ousted former dictator Hosni Mubarak.

Eight of the deaths happened in Suez Canal city when protesters marched to protest unfulfilled demands for government reform. One of those killed was a 14-year-old boy.

Egypt’s Health Ministry also believes that more than 480 people were injured in the protests, including five with gunshot wounds, reports USA Today. The number injured makes it possible that the death toll from the day of violence will rise.

Naglaa Marzouk, a teacher who spent some of her day in Tahrir Square, where Egypt’s revolution began, stated:

“We’re not celebrating, because the goals of the revolution have not been achieved: bread, social justice and dignity.”

Reuters notes that troops were deployed to Suez early on Saturday after the shootings. One of the eight killed in Suez was a policeman, while another one was shot and killed in Ismailia.

Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsi condemned the violence, which was fueled by anger at Morsi and his Islamist allies. Protesters see his government as a betrayal of the revolution. Morsi added that the state will not hesitate in “pursuing the criminals and delivering them to justice.”

The Egyptian president also called on Egyptians to respect the revolution’s principles by expressing their views peacefully. Adel Refaat, the head of Suez’s state security, stated, “We have asked the armed forces to send reinforcements on the ground until we pass this difficult period.

The protests on Friday in Egypt came as protesters sought to rekindle their revolution, which they believe was hijacked by the Muslim Brotherhood, Morsi’s party.

[Image by Lilian Wagdy (DSC_0337Uploaded by The Egyptian Liberal) [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons]