18-year-old Samir Ashraf dies as a result of birdshot injuries One person was killed in Cairo's Tahrir Square on Monday as clashes between police and protesters raged into a fifth day, after President Mohammed Morsi scrambled to contain deepening divisions by calling for further national dialogue with opposition blocs.
However, the main opposition group, the National Salvation Front [NSF], demanded Morsi meet several conditions before dialogue could take place.
Samir Ashraf , aged 18, reportedly died on Monday after birdshot hit him at close range, Egyptian state television reported. Ashraf’s fatal injuries were sustained during clashes at one of the entrances to Tahrir Square, as demonstrators and security forces lobbed rocks and tear gas at one another.
The latest round of clashes began following a ceremonial prayer on Cairo’s vital Qasr el-Nil bridge, which links east and west Cairo and leads into the Square, to memorise martyrs who died during a famous battle there on January 28 2011.
Clashes also flared up in the Nile Cornice area of the city near the Semiramis hotel, as protesters battled with police. Demonstrators threw tear gas canisters into the Nile.
Violent confrontations have continued since Sunday night in three major points across Cairo, following President Mohammed Morsi’s speech at 2200 hrs local time.
Egypt’s Shura Council meanwhile approved a draft law which will allow President Morsi to deploy armed forces on the streets, reportedly “to assist the police in preserving security and protecting vital institutions.”
The new statute would apply until after the next legislative elections and could be used whenever the President deemed necessary, according to the state-owned MENA news agency.
Egypt’s Defence Minister could also determine deployment locations, as well as the volume of troops required.
The draft comes a day after President Morsi declared a month-long state of emergency in Port Said, Suez and Ismailia after deadly riots there resulted in the deaths of at least 30 people.
In a televised address from the presidential palace, Morsi also imposed curfews on the three provinces, between 2100 hrs and 1800 hrs, following rejected calls for national dialogue.