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Egyptian Police Fire Tear Gas At Protesters Outside Presidential Palace
December 04, 2012
Egyptian riot police have fired tear gas at opponents of Islamist President Muhammad Morsi outside the presidential palace in Cairo as demonstrators broke through police lines.
Several thousand protesters had gathered near the palace, chanting "the people want the downfall of the regime."
Thousands more also gathered in Cairo's Tahrir Square.
Morsi has angered his opponents in the last month by moving to concentrate power into the post of the presidency by decree.
Protesters accuse him of having "sold the revolution" that toppled longtime strongman Hosni Mubarak last year.
Protests over the past weeks were sparked by a November 22 decree issued by Morsi expanding his powers and enabling him to put to a mid-December referendum a draft constitution.
The draft has become the object of a political and ideological battle between Islamists and the largely secularist opposition.
The opposition says the constitution fails to protect the rights of women and minority groups.
Morsi says the constitution has to be approved before he can rescind his decrees.
The draft constitution was hurriedly approved last week by an assembly dominated by Morsi's Islamist allies.
Meanwhile, several independent and opposition newspapers have suspended publication to protest perceived strictures on freedom of expression in the draft constitution.
The December 4 protest involves at least eight publications.
Privately owned TV channels are planning their own protest on December 5, when they say they will cancel all broadcasts.
Based on reporting by AP and AFP
Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/egypt-newspapers-opposition-protest-draft-constitution/24788911.html
Copyright (c) 2012. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
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