Last Updated, 1:58 p.m. Supporters of and opponents of President Mohamed Morsi of Egypt engaged in street battles Wednesday night in Cairo, after Islamists attacked protesters camped outside the gates of the presidential palace, according to journalists and activists who witnessed the raid.
Morsi supporters reportedly attempted to stifle coverage by attacking journalists and bloggers, but activists from the Mosireen film collective managed to record video of tents being ripped down, which was quickly posted on YouTube.
Muslim Brotherhood supporters attack a number of journalists around palace, chase them down streets, destroy cameras. #Egypt
— Mohamed Fadel Fahmy (@Repent11) 5 Dec 12
It seems our friend @KareemFarid has been attacked by Morsi supporters, his bag & camera have been stolen! Kareem is our BEST citizen journo
— Farah Saafan (@FarahSaafan) 5 Dec 12
Egypt’s ON TV also broadcast video of the president’s supporters clearing the sit-in and putting up barriers to block the return of protesters to the area.
Activists and journalists posted images on Twitter showing the president’s supporters dispersing the sit-in and taking control of the area outside the palace, with the apparent acquiescence of the police.
الإخوان وصلوا عند الإتحادية http://t.co/zjDzFoXz
— Aly Ghoneim (@Ghoneimalex) 5 Dec 12
“Let’s go Morsy, strike again. There’s still Al-Zend and Tahany.” http://t.co/TRzgr5QF
— Basil El-Dabh (@BasilElD) 5 Dec 12
Police and Military police sat watching as MB beat up protesters in front of presidential palace
— Lilian Wagdy ليليان (@lilianwagdy) 5 Dec 12
فض الإعتصام الإتحادية http://t.co/zdkmYbFd
— Aly Ghoneim (@Ghoneimalex) 5 Dec 12
#mb robbing food after demolishing tents opposite etehadeya #egypt http://t.co/pf1nJGUz
— Karim Akram (@Karim_Akram) 5 Dec 12
Supporters are heading for the prayers after violently dispersing a sit in.
— Mai Shams El-Din (@maishams) 5 Dec 12
The attack on the sit-in came one day after tens of thousands of protesters rallied outside the gates of the palace to protest the president’s decree granting himself unchecked power to help push through a new constitution written by Islamists.
This is part of yesterday’s demo.. these are who Ikhwan call ‘a few’ http://t.co/LZqLWcNC
— marlyn (@virtualactivism) 5 Dec 12
Before the attack, a message posted on the Muslim Brotherhood’s official @Ikhwanweb Twitter account called for a million-man counter-demonstration at the same location.
Muslim Brotherhood & Islamist parties call for Million-Man March today afternoon outside Itehadyya palace in supprt of the elected president
— Ikhwanweb (@Ikhwanweb) 5 Dec 12
As several journalists noted, the Morsi supporters cleared the sit-in just as the vice president told reporters that the crisis could be resolved by allowing a referendum on the draft constitution to proceed and then passing amendments to the document after a new Parliament convenes.
VP Mekky says political groups could agree on a written charter to amend controversial articles in first parliamentary session
— Sarah El Sirgany (@Ssirgany) 5 Dec 12
Deal floated by VP Mekki very strange development. Why would the oppstn trust any promise by Islamist MPs they will pass ammndmnts? #Egypt
— Rawya Rageh (@RawyaRageh) 5 Dec 12
VP: dialogue shld continue around controversial const articles, amendments can be presented to new parl’t for ratification
— Ikhwanweb (@Ikhwanweb) 5 Dec 12
While Muslim Brotherhood officials denied that they were responsible for the violence, claiming that “both sides” engaged in attacks, opposition activists blamed the Islamist president for the escalation and compared the use of force by civilian supporters of the Islamist movement to the tactics of the Mubarak regime and the way Iran’s government deploys members of the Basij militia to attack protesters there.
@RawahBadrawi @RobertMackey @mosireen Conflict happened, between “supporters” & “opposers”. Video showed “supporters” removing tents.
— Gehad El-Haddad (@gelhaddad) 5 Dec 12
Vicious attack vs peaceful protesters in front of presidential palace w/o police protection. Regime leading Egypt into violence & bloodshed
— Mohamed ElBaradei (@ElBaradei) 5 Dec 12
Tell me if you’ve heard this one before: Ruling party sends supporters to violently quell protests
— Abdel-Rahman Hussein (@ElFoulio) 5 Dec 12
MB used their militias to attack a sit-in. It’s official. The MB are transforming their followers into Basij.
— The Big Pharaoh (@TheBigPharaoh) 5 Dec 12
The VP saying “Crowds do not dictate the course of the country” 18 months into a revolution and amidst a MB mob attack on demonstrators…
— sherief gaber (@cairocitylimits) 5 Dec 12
So much misinfrmatn from #Egypt VP Mekki, here’s a start: accuses yesterday’s huge peacfl protests of violence at the momnt #MB thugs atack
— Barbara Ibrahim (@blibrahim) 5 Dec 12
All journalists had phones removed so sitting in the VP presser w no idea about the #MB attacks going on at presidency. Totalitarian theater
— Barbara Ibrahim (@blibrahim) 5 Dec 12
After the Morsi supporters cleared the small number of protesters who had camped outside the palace walls following Tuesday night’s protest, they moved on to erasing graffiti left by the revolutionaries, including a portrait of a young man named Jika Gaber who was killed at the start of the protests against the president’s decree.
Ittihadiya graffiti http://t.co/RA1Oovlk
— karima khalil (@KarimaKhalil) 5 Dec 12
What was a dynamic, revolutionary Egyptian crowd last night has turned into exclusively counterrevolutionary middle-aged men today.
— Tarek Shalaby (@tarekshalaby) 5 Dec 12
They’re painting over the graffiti!!!!
— Tarek Shalaby (@tarekshalaby) 5 Dec 12
Graffiti being painted over #Jika http://t.co/4qi9A3Gd
— Basil El-Dabh (@BasilElD) 5 Dec 12
As opposition protesters rallied nearby in response to the attack, activists reported that the president’s supporters remained on the offensive. Video streamed live from the scene to the video-sharing site Bambuser by the activist blogger Tarek Shalaby seemed to capture the sound of shots being fired.
This is surreal. They’re NOT defending the palace. They’re chasing us all out the entire neighborhood. I’ve heard many shots, seen injuries.
— Tarek Shalaby (@tarekshalaby) 5 Dec 12
I keep hearing shots. While running back earlier I felt pebbles hit my back. What’s that? Not bird shot.
— Tarek Shalaby (@tarekshalaby) 5 Dec 12
It is not normal what i saw! Side streets in Korba are NOT safe i didnt even have time to go anywhere! I hid under @KhaledSherbiny car :(
— Sarah Ebeid (@SarahEbeid) 5 Dec 12
After reports of at least one death and graphic images began to circulate online, the journalists Sharif Kouddous and Sarah Carr reported on clashes between supporters and opponents of the president from the front line between the two groups.
Outside the presidential palace, Egypt is witnessing the worst clashes between citizens since the revolution began http://t.co/kzi9DNUS
— Sharif Kouddous (@sharifkouddous) 5 Dec 12
Brotherhood crowd chanting “With our souls, with our blood well sacrifice for you, Islam” #Egypt
— Sharif Kouddous (@sharifkouddous) 5 Dec 12
Police are nowhere to be seen. With far bigger numbers, Brotherhood crowd has pushed revolutionary crowd back down the street
— Sharif Kouddous (@sharifkouddous) 5 Dec 12
The frontline now near roxy square http://t.co/K94fZNnm
— أبو كار (@Sarahcarr) 5 Dec 12
The pros are chanting selmeyya
— أبو كار (@Sarahcarr) 5 Dec 12
Antis chanting Jika
— أبو كار (@Sarahcarr) 5 Dec 12
The crowd behind chanting Morsi Morsi allaho akbar http://t.co/Kpl6eubU
— أبو كار (@Sarahcarr) 5 Dec 12
Stylish headwear on the pro side. http://t.co/1sMtsm9u
— أبو كار (@Sarahcarr) 5 Dec 12
After the violence escalated, Brotherhood officials, including Essam el-Erian, a senior leader of the group’s political party, and the young, Islamist bloggers running the official Twitter account tried to blame opposition politicians, and were met with jeers from activists.
@mostafa @ElBaradei if that’s the case then war is peace, up is down, and black is white.
— Hani Sabra (@HaniSabra) 5 Dec 12
@Ikhwanweb You’ve completely lost it.
— Mosa’ab Elshamy (@mosaaberizing) 5 Dec 12
The Lede Blog: Clashes in Cairo After Morsi Supporters Attack Palace Sit-In
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The Lede Blog: Clashes in Cairo After Morsi Supporters Attack Palace Sit-In
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The Lede Blog: Clashes in Cairo After Morsi Supporters Attack Palace Sit-In