Egypt’s police authorized to use deadly force
Print Edition
Egyptian authorities yesterday authorized police to use deadly force to protect themselves and key state institutions from attacks, after supporters of the deposed Islamist president torched two local government buildings near Cairo.
The Interior Ministry, which is in charge of national security, said that the new measures come after an angry crowd stormed the buildings in Giza, the city next to Cairo that is home to the famed pyramids.
Egypt’s military-backed government also pledged to confront “terrorist actions and sabotage” allegedly carried out by members of former President Mohammed Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood group.
On Wednesday, the government declared a nationwide state of emergency and nighttime curfew after a deadly crackdown on Morsi supporters holding sit-ins and nationwide clashes left more than 500 people dead.
The buildings in Giza set alight were a two-story colonial-style villa and a four-story administrative building.
State TV blamed Morsi supporters for the fire and broadcast footage showing both structures burning as firefighters evacuated employees from the larger building.
Meanwhile, attacks on Coptic Christian churches continued for a second day, according to Egypt’s official news agency and human rights advocates.
Egypt’s MENA agency said Morsi supporters set fire to the Prince Tadros church in the province of Fayoum, nearly 50 miles southwest of Cairo. The same province witnessed similar attacks on at least three churches in different villages on Wednesday.
Ishaq Ibrahim from The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights group documented as many as 39 incidents of violence against churches, monasteries, Coptic schools and shops in different parts of the country on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Egyptian judicial authorities have extended Morsi’s detention for 30 days, the state news agency said.
Morsi, overthrown by the army on July 3, is being held at an undisclosed location on allegations of murder and spying.
The violence across Egypt raised fears that two years of economic crisis would quickly get worse.
Egypt has been struggling with a damaged tourist industry, surging food prices and high unemployment since the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak in 2011, and is only just recovering from months of strikes by public and private sector workers.
Yesterday, Swedish home appliances maker Electrolux halted production at several factories on the outskirts of Cairo where it employs 7,000 people. It is to review its decision tomorrow.
General Motors closed its assembly plant outside Cairo and shut its office there, and oil major Royal Dutch/Shell shut its offices for the next few days and restricted business travel. BP said oil production was not affected.
The stock exchange was shut and said it would open again next week while the central bank told banks to stay closed.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
