Violence breaks out in Egypt following Morsi's 'pharaohic-power grab'
London, Nov. 24 (ANI)
Egypt's first democratically elected President Mohammed Morsi giving himself near-absolute powers saw opponents and supporters of the leading figure of Muslim Brotherhood party clash in one of the worst violence since he took office.
The edicts by Morsi, which were issued on November 23, have turned months of growing polarization into an open battle between his Muslim Brotherhood and liberals who fear a new dictatorship over Egypt.
The unrest also underscored the struggle over the direction of Egypt's turbulent passage nearly two years after a popular uprising toppled Hosni Mubarak's authoritarian regime, Fox News reports.
In a thunderous speech in front of a presidential palace in Cairo, Morsi told thousands of cheering supporters that the sweeping decrees he asserted himself were intended to defend the revolution that led to Morsi's election this June.
However, Egyptians who took part in the revolution that toppled Mubarak said now another angry and even bigger revolution would take place as they had now aligned with former Mubarak supporters who denounced Morsi's moves too, the Washington Post reports.
"Overthrowing Morsi is a demand of the revolutionaries and also of the remnants of the old regime. Now it's going to be the two groups together. Winds do not blow as the ships wish. There's going to be another angry revolution," said Mohamed ElBeshlawy, 32, an accountant.
Meanwhile, Michele Dunne, a former member of the National Security Council staff under President Obama said that whatever the motivation for Morsi's move, the effort to shield his government from judicial challenge would remove "whatever checks and balances exist in Egypt at this point," the paper said.