Police Teargassed Pro-Morsi Protest For Blocking Traffic: Egypt Interior Ministry

Egypt’s interior ministry said in a statement Monday evening that it “had to use” teargas to disperse a pro-Morsi protest in downtown Cairo’s Ramsis Square, on the grounds that protesters blocked traffic in the area and allegedly threw rocks at passing cars.

The ministry claimed that police forces warned Morsi supporters “against disrupting public order,” asserting that they only moved to disperse the crowd after protesters persisted despite the warning.

Clashes erupted Monday evening in Cairo’s downtown between police forces and hundreds of deposed Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi’s supporters, who have been demanding the reinstatement of the former elected president.

Eyewitnesses told Ahram Online that violence broke out after police forces fired teargas at pro-Morsi protesters to clear the Six of October Bridge above downtown’s Ramses street, which were both blocked by the demonstrations. 

Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood had announced it will hold several marches around the country and especially Cairo to press for Morsi’s reinstatement, who was deposed on 3 July by defence minister Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi following nationwide protests.

Source : Ahram