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CAIRO- A man was killed Friday when Islamist supporters of ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi clashed with opponents across Cairo as police fired tear gas and live rounds into the air.
Fighting erupted when Islamists took to the streets in Cairo, Alexandria and the Upper Egypt province of Assiut to protest against the military’s July 3 ouster and jailing of Morsi, AFP correspondents and state media reported.
Friday’s protests were called for by the Anti-Coup Alliance led by Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood in defiance of an ongoing crackdown in which some 2,000 Islamists have been jailed.
Cairo witnessed the fiercest clashes on Friday, with the fighting largely centred around the iconic Tahrir Square, epicentre of the 2011 revolt that toppled strongman Hosni Mubarak.
Police fired live rounds into the air and tear gas to prevent Islamists from entering the square, as several hundred demonstrators chanted “Allahu Akbar” (God is Greatest), an AFP correspondent reported.
The warning shots succeeded in dispersing the protesters from Abdel Moneim Riad Square, which is next to Tahrir, pushing them back towards nearby Ramses Square.
Fifteen people were wounded in the Cairo clashes, while another three were hurt in Assiut, Ahmed al-Ansari, head of Egypt’s ambulance services, said.
The army closed all the entrances to Tahrir Square, and most shops in downtown Cairo remained shuttered, as a separate group of protesters marched towards the defence ministry.
Thousands of pro-Morsi supporters marched in the Nasr City district towards the Rabaa al-Adawiya Square, where security forces dismantled a massive protest camp on August 14 as part of a crackdown that left hundreds dead.
Marchers in Nasr City flashed the four fingers sign, a symbol of Rabaa, and carried banners with pictures of those killed, chanting “Revenge! Revenge!” They later dispersed from the neighbourhood.
Meanwhile, hundreds of Morsi supporters chanted slogans against the military and army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi when they clashed with opponents in the Maniyal neighbourhood, a witness said, adding that both sides fired birdshot at each other.
Clashes in the Shubra neighbourhood ended after security forces intervened and chased away the two groups, another witness told AFP.
Morsi, Egypt’s first elected president, was ousted following mass protests against his year-long rule. He has been held at an unknown location since then.
The ability of the Anti-Coup Alliance to bring large numbers of supporters into the streets has waned following the security crackdown in August.
More than 2,000 Islamists have been arrested, including top leaders of the Brotherhood, and the organisation’s activities were banned by an Egyptian court last month.
The court also ordered the Brotherhood’s assets seized, delivering a powerful blow to the organisation.
More demonstrations were expected on Sunday, when Egypt marks the anniversary of its 1973 war with Israel.
