advertisement

Egypt: Police ordered to end pro-Morsi protests

CAIRO — Egypt’s military-backed government has ordered the police to break up the sit-in protests by supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi, saying they pose an “unacceptable threat” to national security.

Information Minister Dorreya Sharaf el-Din said in a televised statement Wednesday that the police are to end the demonstrations “within the law and the constitution.”

The comments signal a move to break up the two main pro-Morsi protests — one outside a mosque in eastern Cairo and another outside the main Cairo University camps — was imminent.

Morsi was overthrown by the military on July 3 after mass rallies calling for his ouster.

Last week, millions of Egyptians took to the streets to give military chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi a mandate to deal with violence and “potential terrorism.”

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.