MORE THAN 300 KILLED IN EGYPT SIT-IN DISPERSALS: BROTHERHOOD LEADER
Cairo, 8 Shawwal 1434/14 August 2013 (MINA) – Mohamed al-Beltagi, a leading figure of the Muslim Brotherhood and its Freedom and Justice Party, Wednesday, said more than 300 people had been killed in the forcible dispersal of two sit-ins staged by supporters of ousted President Mohamed Morsi.
“Bullets are raining down on our heads,” al-Beltagi told supporters who remained inside the besieged protest site. “More than 300 people have been killed.”
He appealed to the Egyptian people to take to the streets in a show of solidarity with slain pro-Morsi demonstrators.
In the early hours of Wednesday, security forces moved in to forcibly disperse two six-week-old sit-ins in Cairo and Giza staged by Morsi supporters.
According to medics and eyewitnesses, at least 163 people have been killed and thousands injured.
The Egyptian Ambulance Organization, however, has put the number of people killed in the two squares at ten.
The Interior Ministry said three policemen had been killed in the violence.
Muslim Brotherhood leader urges world to intervene to stop ‘massacre’ of Morsi supporters
Al-Beltagi has appealed to the international community to intervene to halt what he described as “massacre” of supporters of ousted President Mohamed Morsi.
“They are dealing with us as if we were fighting a war,” al-Beltagi told the Anadolu Agency quoted by Mi’raj News Agency (MINA) as reporting on Wednesday.
“Military facilities near the protest camp, which we never touched for weeks, are now being used by snipers to shoot at us,” al-Beltagi said.
“Live ammunition has been fired at [demonstrators’] chests and heads from aircraft and tanks for the past four hours,” he added. “Ambulances are not allowed into the square and medical supplies at the field hospital have been torched.”
There was no immediate reaction from the police or army regarding al-Beltagi’s assertions.
Protest outside US and Egypt embassies in Ankara after massacre in Egypt
A group of people in Turkey staged demonstrations in front of US and Egypt embassies in Ankara in wake of Wednesday’s police assault on civilians in Egypt.
A group of people who were affiliated with political parties and non-governmental organizations in Turkey staged demonstrations in front of US and Egypt embassies in Ankara in wake of Wednesday’s police assault on civilians in Egypt.
A group who were affiliated with ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), Felicity Party and non-governmental organizations staged demonstrations in front of US and Egypt embassies in Ankara on Wednesday against the Egyptian massacre on civilians.
The group performed a funeral prayer in front of US embassy in wake of Wednesday’s police assault on civilians in Egypt, a violent move to disperse the two main pro-Morsi sit-ins in capital Cairo’s Rabaa al-Adawiya Square and Giza’s Nahda Square.
Turkish fm conducts phone diplomacy on Egypt
Turkish foreign minister Davutoglu has been intensively conducting phone diplomacy with his foreign counterparts in wake of the deadly crackdown on the Egyptian people on Wednesday.
Davutoglu spoke with Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon on the phone and put emphasis on stopping bloodshed and police intervention in Egypt.
Turkish fm also spoke with his France and the United Arab Emirates counterparts.
Earlier on Wednesday, Davutoglu spoke with Saudi Arabian, Qatari and German counterparts regarding police assault on civilians in Egypt.
Ban had strongly condemned Wednesday’s police assault on civilians in Egypt in a violent move to disperse the two main pro-Morsi sit-ins in capital Cairo’s Rabaa al-Adawiya Square and Giza’s Nahda Square. (T/P09/P03/E1)
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
