Egypt state television and security officials say troops moved to clear supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi, with reports of the dead and injured differing substantially.
August 14, 2013

UPDATE: AFP reports vice president ElBaradei has resigned.

UPDATE: This morning, the White House condemned the crackdown.

Apparently, Egypt's military led by General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi,has had enough. Egyptian security forces on Wednesday stormed camps filled with protesters who are loyal to ousted President Mohamed Morsi, with bulldozers moving into the main site in Nahda Square in Cairo. Morsi’s party, the Muslim Brotherhood, claimed that hundreds of people were killed, but state media put the number at around 15. Keep in mind, the "state" media is now under control of the military. Officials said that at least two members of the security forces were killed, and nine were injured. In Nahda Square, authorities said the site had been cleared, with Morsi supporters being chased into the nearby zoo and Cairo University. At the other major site, Rabaa al-Adawiya, witnesses spoke of seeing dozens of bodies on the ground, and the Brotherhood described the scene as a massacre.

BBC:

"State TV showed armoured bulldozers moving deep into the main camp outside the eastern Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque.

There were also reports of violence in other parts of Egypt.

State news agency Mena says three churches were attacked in central Egypt, one in the city of Sohag with a large number of Coptic Christian residents.

Security sources quoted by Reuters news agency reported clashes between security forces and Morsi supporters in Assiut and Minya cities.

Morsi supporters are reported to have blocked roads in the northern city of Alexandria.

Hundreds are said to have gathered outside the governor's office in Aswan in the south.

Authorities say the other Cairo protest camp at Nahda Square has now been cleared.

The interior ministry said a "mopping up" operation in the streets surrounding Nahda Square was under way. Pro-Morsi activists were chased into the nearby zoo and Cairo University, Nile TV said."

Reuters reports:

"The government issued a statement saying security forces had showed the "utmost degree of self-restraint", reflected in low casualties compared to the number of people "and the volume of weapons and violence directed against the security forces".

A Reuters witness saw soldiers fire at protesters as they tried to enter the besieged Rabaa camp in solidarity with other Mursi supporters. At least 20 were shot in the legs. Television pictures showed security forces shooting from nearby rooftops.

"Tear gas (canisters) were falling from the sky like rain. There are no ambulances inside. They closed every entrance," said protester Khaled Ahmed, 20, a university student wearing a hard hat with tears streaming down his face.

"There are women and children in there. God help them. This is a siege, a military attack on a civilian protest camp."

A Reuters correspondent saw dozens of people lying in the street with bullet and birdshot wounds. Pools of blood were everywhere.

"At 7 a.m. they came. Helicopters from the top and bulldozers from below. They smashed through our walls. Police and soldiers, they fired tear gas at children," said teacher Saleh Abdulaziz, 39, clutching a bleeding wound on his head.

"They continued to fire at protesters even when we begged them to stop."'

The Brotherhood is now urging its backers to take to the streets, risking an escalation in violence and further destabilization in the pivotal Arab nation, according to Reuters.

Can you help us out?

For nearly 20 years we have been exposing Washington lies and untangling media deceit, but now Facebook is drowning us in an ocean of right wing lies. Please give a one-time or recurring donation, or buy a year's subscription for an ad-free experience. Thank you.

Discussion

We welcome relevant, respectful comments. Any comments that are sexist or in any other way deemed hateful by our staff will be deleted and constitute grounds for a ban from posting on the site. Please refer to our Terms of Service for information on our posting policy.
Mastodon