Pro-Morsy marches prompt clashes across Egypt

A civilian tries to put out a fire made by the Muslim Brotherhood supporters during clashes near the Giza Pyramids, Egypt.

Supporters of former Egyptian president Mohammed Morsy staged massive protests across the country, resulting in clashes with security forces and about 50 arrests, media reported on Friday.

The protests took place in a number of governorates, including Cairo, Giza, Alexandria, Damietta, Minufiya, Fayoum, Gharbiya, Qena and North Sinai, Xinhua reported.

The marches were urged by a pro-Morsy Islamist alliance led by the Muslim Brotherhood. Mr. Morsy’s loyalists chanted slogans against the military and the police.

The alliance referred to the marches in a statement as “peaceful and creative resistance”. But a building in Giza’s Pyramids city was set on fire during the demonstrations. Firefighters managed to control the situation.

Security forces arrested 50 Brotherhood supporters across Egypt.

Egypt’s military launched a massive crackdown on Mr. Morsy’s supporters after they ousted the former president in last July. The interim government has even blacklisted the Muslim Brotherhood as a “terrorist organisation”.

In mid-August last year, the security forces dispersed two major pro-Morsy sit-ins in Cairo and Giza, which resulted in about 1,000 deaths and thousands were arrested.

On Thursday, the Egyptian foreign ministry summoned a number of European ambassadors in Cairo to protest their previous joint statement that criticised human rights conditions in Egypt and denounced the crackdown on Morsy’s supporters.