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Street clashes erupted between the security forces and the family members of the 21 convicts outside the Port Said prison, after a criminal court in Cairo handed down the verdict over the riot, which killed more than 70 people following a football match last February.
Crowds of people stormed two police stations. Some of them used automatic weapons against policemen, who responded with tear gas in a bid to disperse them.
In addition to the deaths, 17 people were seriously wounded, including 15 civilians and two police officers, official news agency MENA said, adding that they were transferred by a military helicopter to hospitals in Cairo.
The violence came one day after the demonstrations marking the second anniversary of the January-25 revolt. Last Friday’s protests killed nine people, who were among the demonstrators flooding main squares across the country to protest the new constitution and the Muslim Brotherhood’s control over the country’s institutions.
Main hotels in Cairo closed their doors in fears of gas tears and flying rocks hurting their visitors. Also, the US embassy in Cairo closed its public services due to nearby clashes.
Meanwhile, several opposition parties called on their facebook pages for more protests today, dubbed “angry Monday” after the funerals of the dead killed during the previous clashes, in a bid to urge forming a salvation government and amending the constitution.
On his twitter account, leader of MB’s party Mohamed Al Beltagy, appealed to President Mohamed Morsi to use “decisive force” to contain the killings of citizens, the burning of the state institutions and the blocking of roads and the bridges.
Following the violent clashes in Port Said, the Armed Forces deployed troops in the streets to prevent further violence and protect state facilities. On the army official page, a statement denied that the army had used any live ammunition as reported by some media. — Xinhua
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