Egypt Troops Fire On Pro-Morsi Crowd, Several Dead
Egypt troops have fired at a crowd of pro-Morsi protesters outside of the Republican Guard military barracks Friday. Three people have died so far in the clash.
Crowds had gathered at the barracks to protest the military’s take-over of the Egyptian government and removal of President Morsi, who is believed to be imprisoned there.
Marching from a Cairo mosque, an estimated 2,000 Morsi supporters gathered around the military compound’s barbed wire fences, chanting “After sunset, President Morsi will be back in the palace,” reports BBC.
Protesters then hung a pro-Morsi sign on the fence. This agitated troops standing guard near the area, who tore the hanging down. In defiance, protesters hoisted another sign to hang on the fence.
This is when, reports USA Today, Egypt troops fired at the crowd. Reports of blood spraying the crowd and individuals with gaping exit wounds falling to the ground.
Angered, the crowd picked up stones to throw at the troops. More protesters arrived, incensed at the dead now seen wrapped and being carried away from the tense scene.
This comes after days of turmoil in Egypt where a military coup recently removed President Morsi from power. His removal was demanded by crowds of protesters who have demonstrated in the streets of Cairo for days.
Though Morsi was democratically elected, many objected to what some saw as an overreach of power and censorship promoted by his faction, the Muslim Brotherhood, who are known as conservative Islamists.
The BBC also report that there have been other incidents of troops firing on pro-Morsi crowds. An incident is said to have occurred in the southern Egyptian city of Qina, where at least two have been injured.
Egypt is in political turmoil with an increasingly aggravated sector of the nation’s population finding outrage in the military’s ousting of democratically elected President Mohamed Morsi. An incident like this where Egypt troops have fired upon civilian crowds may signal more violence clashes yet to come.
[Image via Mohamed Elsayyed / Shutterstock.com]
