Egypt: Clashes at Tahrir square injure at least 12

At least twelve people were injured in fresh clashes between President Mohammed Mursi’s supporters and opponents in Cairo’s Tahrir square on Friday.

Zeenews Bureau Cairo: At least twelve people were injured in fresh clashes between new Islamist President Mohammed Mursi’s supporters and opponents in Cairo’s Tahrir square on Friday. As per BBC report, an-anti Mursi rally consisting of liberals and leftist opposition activists were staging protest in Tahrir square when a group of Mursi’s supporters reached the venue that lead to fierce clashes. The pro-Mursi demonstrators smashed loudspeakers and tore off the structure down during competing rallies. According to a hospital official, protestors started pelting stones at each other that left at least 12 people wounded.

Protesters were seen with bruises and scrapes as the two camps fought with fists and sticks. Gunshots were also fired. The protest came after Mursi proposed writing of the country`s new constitution. The panel that has been tasked to write ew Constitution largely include Islamists and members of fundamentalist Muslim Brotherhood. Mursi’s opponents feel that he has not lived upto his promises who was elected at the end of June this year as Egypt’s president. The opposition activists staged Friday`s rally as they had demanded more action from Mursi after his first 100 days in office. Earlier in the day, Mursi had sacked the prosecutor general Abdel Meguid Mahmoud, a Mubarak-era official, who refused to comply with the orders arguing that a judicial body cannot be dismissed by an executive authority. Mahmoud claimed that despite being fired, he would not leave his post. "I remain in my post," Mahmud told reporters. "According to the law, a judicial body cannot be dismissed by an executive authority." This is the second major clash with the judiciary since Mursi assumed power on June 30, this year. The first clash was when he ordered the parliament, which was then dissolved by virtue of a court verdict, to re-convene. Meanwhile, Mursi, who was in Egypt`s second largest city, Alexandria, pledged to bring to justice Mubarak-era officials following acquittals of ex-regime men accused of organising attack on protesters during last year`s uprising. Around 1,000 protesters died across Egypt in the 18-day uprising that toppled dictator Hosni Mubarak and his 32-year old regime. Mubarak is serving a life sentence along with this longtime interior minister for failing to stop the killing of protesters last year. (With Agency inputs)