Egyptian presidency condemns night of violence as 1 killed

Egypt’s political forces blame one another for the violence An Egyptian was shot dead as security forces battled petrol-bomb throwing protesters at the presidential palace in Cairo on Friday and President Mohammed Morsi vowed "decisive" police action ,a senior medic said.The 23-year-old died of a gunshot wound, said Ahmed al-Ansari, the deputy head of Egypt's medic authority, as police fired birdshot on the protesters who targeted the palace amid rallies in several cities against the Islamist leader.
Police said they arrested 20 protesters, and were filmed on live television beating and dragging a naked man to an armoured vehicle, outraging Morsi's critics who compared the incident with police practices under deposed leader Hosni Mubarak.
Egypt’s presidency meanwhile criticised marchers who threw Molotov cocktails, stones and fireworks, before attempting to storm the gates of the presidential palace.
Central Security forces responded by setting fire to demonstrators’ tents, firing tear gas to disperse the crowds.
Dozens of people sustained suffocation-related injuries to the reportedly excessive use of tear gas.
The presidency, facing a flare-up in the political crisis that has dogged Morsi, said security forces would deal with violent protests with "utmost decisiveness" and that it would hold opposition groups found to have incited the clashes "politically accountable."
A statement on Morsi's Facebook page said the protesters sparked the violence by trying to break down the presidential palace gates and scaling its walls.
Ansari said 53 people have been injured in the clashes. The Interior Ministry said 15 of its men were wounded by birdshot, and that Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim has ordered a probe to "hold accountable" the policemen who beat the naked protester.
Egypt’s presidency has held opposition forces responsible for last night’s violence, demanding parties withdraw their supporters from the area surrounding the Ittiyihada. Security forces would deal “strictly” to protect state buildings, it added.
The National Salvation Front [NSF] meanwhile claimed it had no connection to rioting. The coalition, in a press statement, said: “The demonstrations launched from Nour Mosque and Rabaa el-Adaweya Mosque were peaceful in nature. The demonstrators have not involved in any riot actions during their march to the presidential palace.”
But hours before the violence broke out, NSF leader and Nobel Peace laureate Mohamed El Baradei suggested unrest would persist if Morsi kept on sidelining his opponents.
The NSF demanded security forces reveal those provoking violent actions near the building, whilst also committing to the rule of law when dealing with protesters.
President Mohammed Morsi and the ruling Muslim Brotherhood should bear the responsibility for the current crisis, the NSF claimed, because of their refusal to accept legal challenges such as the formation of a national salvation government, amendments to Morsi’s Constitutional Declaration and the establishment of a fact-finding mission to investigate recent violence in Canal cities such as Port Said and Suez.
Egyptian politician Ayman Nour joined condemnation of the clashes, claiming the country’s media should bear the responsibility for violence.
Former Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed el-Orabi meanwhile refuted the presidential statement, claiming the Muslim Brotherhood sought to tarnish the image of revolutionaries.
Scores of protesters skirmished with riot police several hundred metres [yards] from Tahrir Square where thousands rallied against Morsi, witnesses said, and two were wounded by birdshot fired by police.
The clashes were less intense than in the past week's unrest which resulted in 56 deaths, mostly in Port Said, where violence erupted after 21 residents were sentenced to death on Saturday over football-related violence last year.
Thousands of people protested in the Suez Canal city on Friday calling for Morsi's removal, unfazed by a strong military presence, and similar marches took place in the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria.
The opposition accuses Morsi of betraying the revolution that toppled Mubarak two years ago and took him to the presidency.
The NSF joined rival "Islamists" on Thursday in condemning violence and supporting efforts for a national dialogue, while insisting on a unity government and the amendment of the Islamist-drafted constitution, which polarised the nation when it was passed in December.
Top Islamic scholar Grand Imam Ahmed al-Tayyeb chaired talks on Thursday between the opposing sides in which they agreed to support dialogue and condemned violence.
The crisis has sapped the popularity of Morsi -- who won the June election with a slender majority -- and complicated negotiations for a crucial $4.8bn International Monetary Fund [IMF] loan that could help bail out the teetering economy.
A presidency statement welcomed Thursday's al-Azhar agreement as "an important step on the road to re-establishing stability."
The Interior Ministry said it respected "the right to peaceful protest," but urged all political forces to ensure "a peaceful and civilised" day on Friday, a spokesman said before violence flared again in the capital.
Additional reporting: AFP