Violent Clashes Plague Egypt Once Again

Violent Clashes Plague Egypt Once Again

This Friday, Egypt celebrates the two year anniversary of the overthrowal of former longtime president Hosni Mubarak in a democratic revolution that more and more people say was hijacked and transformed into an Islamic fundamentalist regime by Mohamed Mursi and his Islamist party.

The violence intensified in Port Said after a court ordered the execution of 21 men involved in soccer incidents that claimed the lives of 76 people.

Tires were set in fire and gunfire was heard throughout the city, and two police stations were supposedly stormed. Unofficial reports say that at least nine people died and hundreds more were injured in clashes with police and military forces.

Street riots are nothing new in Egypt, a country that is struggling to appease its split society. With clashes between secular Egyptians and traditional Islamists getting more and more violent the democratically elected President Mursi seems to be unable to bring both sides together.

The inner problems are taking their toll on the Egyptian economy, with continuous riots and political instability coupled with a decrease in tourism and foreign investments making Egypt’s future look pretty bleak.

In regards to the riots in Port Said, President Mursi said he would not hesitate to let justice follow its course and he advised Egyptians who want to protest to do so peacefully.

Posted by James Fried on Sunday January 27 2013, 5:46 AM EDT. Ref: Reuters. Link. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, World. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0