Sunday, November 14, 2010

Egyptian police fire shots at opposition supporters

Deutsche Presse-Agentur
Egyptian security fire shots at opposition supporters

November 9, 2010

Cairo- Police confirmed Tuesday that they had used live ammunition during a scuffle with opposition supporters who were hanging posters for a candidate ahead of upcoming parliamentary elections.

Three men, according to security, were arrested late Monday after police fired warning shots into the air to stop a group of Muslim Brotherhood activists from hanging 'illegal' flyers with religious slogans.

The banned, but tolerated, Muslim Brotherhood have said they are vying for 30 per cent of seats in parliament. They already hold 20 per cent - as independents - making them the largest opposition bloc in the legislature.

The government outlawed any political party from using religious slogans ahead of the November 28 elections, forcing the Muslim Brotherhood to rework their slogan 'Islam is the Solution.'

But supporters of parliamentarian Mahmoud Attia said that police shot in the air and in the direction of the protesters as an intimidation tactic in the northern coastal city of Alexandria.

One of the activists was taken to the hospital for injuries sustained by baton beatings during the scuffle with state security, according to the MB supporters.

According to the Egyptian Center for Human Rights, the shooting at Muslim Brotherhood supporters was a 'flagrant violation of freedom of expression and political rights.'

No comments: