The Neverending Peaceful Protests in Cairo Look Pretty Violent
Protestors set fires outside the gates of Egypt's presidential palace on Friday as Cairo endured a second straight week of demonstrations against Mohammed Morsi. Police responded with tear gas and water cannons, creating a chaotic scene of violence and mayhem.
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During the day, tens of thousands of mostly peaceful demonstrators filled Tahrir Squarem waving signs and chanting slogans as they called for a quick end to Morsi's reign, but the nighttime has devolved in to an even more chaotic scene as small bands of fighters defy the curfew to hurl petrol bombs and rocks under the cover of the darkness—as it has almost every night since the protests were reignited on January 25.
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More than 60 people died in clashes with police over the last week, but even more trouble is expected as the city heads into the weekend. The deadliest protests took place in Port Said, where Friday marked the one-year anniversary of a terrible soccer riot that killed 70 people.
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Morsi has imposed a curfew and emergency law in Port Said and two other cities along the Suez Canal, but that has only fueled the anger of those who believe his government is undemocratic and a betrayal of the nation's revolution. Hopefully, the coming days won't see a repeat of last week's bloodshed, but with neither side seeming to give an inch in the ongoing constitutional debate, those hopes are pretty slim.
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Here are some more images from today's demonstrations:
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A protester chants anti-Mursi slogans during a protest in front of the presidential palace, in Cairo, February 1, 2013. REUTERS/Asmaa Waguih
Egyptian protesters shoot fireworks towards anti-riot policemen during anti-President Mohammed Morsi protest in front of the presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Feb. 1, 2013. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)
Protesters throw stones at security forces inside the presidential palace during clashes between protesters and police in front of the palace, in Cairo February 1, 2013. REUTERS/Asmaa Waguih
