Anti-Morsi protesters attack palace

Egyptians marched against Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in cities across the country yesterday and a few hundred attacked the presidential palace with petrol bombs and rocks.

At least 45 people were hurt during the day across the country, medical sources at the health ministry said. Two officers and three soldiers of the Republic Guard were wounded in clashes.

Protests erupted last month over what demonstrators saw as Morsi’s attempts to monopolise power, as well as wider political and economic grievances.

The main opposition alliance signed an agreement with the ruling Muslim Brotherhood last week rejecting violence and had not officially called for marches yesterday, although some of the alliance’s younger members called for protests.

While the number of protesters has dwindled, distrust of Morsi and the Brotherhood, as well as a sense of political and economic malaise, have continued to bring people into the streets.

At least 59 people were killed in protests between Jan 25, the second anniversary of the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak two years ago, and Feb 4.

A few hundred protesters gathered outside the presidential palace in Cairo as night fell, throwing stones and homemade bombs at the main gate. Police fired into the air, shot teargas, and drove cars toward the crowd to scatter them.

“The people want to overthrow the regime,” the protesters chanted, turning the slogan of Arab Spring protests against the Islamist-led government they helped bring to power.

In Zagazig, 75km north of Cairo, protesters gathered in the area of Morsi’s home. They threw rocks at police, who fired teargas back.

Two years after sweeping autocratic rulers from power, many in Egypt and Tunisia are angry over what they see as an attempt by Islamists to hijack the revolutions without improving living standards.

Meanwhile, in Tunisia, police and mourners clashed at the mass funeral of secular opposition leader Chokri Belaid, whose assassination has plunged the country deeper into political crisis.

At least 50,000 people turned out to honour Belaid in his home district of Jebel al-Jaloud in the capital, chanting anti-Islamist and anti-government slogans.

It was Tunisia’s biggest funeral since the death of Habib Bourguiba, independence leader and first president, in 2000.

Violence erupted near the cemetery as police fired tear gas at demonstrators.

— Reuters

Picture: Egyptian protesters throw petrol bombs and stones at the presidential palace during a demonstration in Cairo. Picture: AP Photo/Khalil Hamra