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Africa North
Egypt's Mursi flees palace as police battle protesters
2012-12-04
Egyptian police battled thousands of protesters outside President Mohamed Mursi's palace in Cairo on Tuesday, prompting the Islamist leader to leave the building, presidency sources said.

Officers fired teargas at up to 10,000 demonstrators angered by Mursi's drive to hold a referendum on a new constitution on December 15. Some broke through police lines around his palace and protested next to the perimeter wall.

The crowds had gathered nearby in what organizers had dubbed "last warning" protests against Mursi, who infuriated opponents with a November 22 decree that expanded his powers. "The people want the downfall of the regime," the demonstrators chanted.

"The president left the palace," a presidential source, who declined to be named, told Reuters. A security source at the presidency also said the president had departed.
Did he flee to an army base to rally his supporters or did he flee to Mauritania?
Riot police at the palace faced off against activists chanting "leave, leave" and holding Egyptian flags with "no to the constitution" written on them. Protesters had assembled near mosques in northern Cairo before marching towards the palace.

"Our marches are against tyranny and the void constitutional decree and we won't retract our position until our demands are met," said Hussein Abdel Ghany, a spokesman for an opposition coalition of liberal, leftist and other disparate factions.
I'm quite surprised the 'liberal' part of Egypt got this organized. They're usually outnumbered by the Copts, let alone the Islamicists.
Protesters later surrounded the palace, with some climbing on gates at the rear to look down into the gardens. At one point, people clambered onto a police armored vehicle and waved flags, while riot police huddled nearby.
When the riot police are 'huddling' instead of thumping people you've won. Put daisies in their rifles; they won't be using them any time soon.
The Health Ministry said 18 people had been injured in clashes next to the palace, according to the state news agency.
Posted by:DarthVader

#16  Steve#13: I know the Islamist's are usually the one to stick they're neck out, usually while ululating while screaming out obscenities. The point I should have clarified is that what brought about this whole "Arab Spring" illusion is the outlier of Egypt Liberals being the ones to do it. It gave the idiots in the MSM some kind of aneurism which caused a belief in Democracy springing up all over.

It was unusual, extremely so, and the Brotherhood used that cover for all it's worth. Now it's coming back to bite them in the ass. Highly entertaining if nothing else.
Posted by: Charles   2012-12-04 21:28  

#15  Walk RUN like an Egyptian!
Posted by: CrazyFool   2012-12-04 20:15  

#14  And how much support will Zero give his chosen MB boyfriend?

Posted by: AlanC   2012-12-04 20:08  

#13  Officers fired teargas at up to 10,000 demonstrators
Looks like it's up to 100,000 protesters at Egypt's presidential palace now.
Posted by: tipper   2012-12-04 19:29  

#12  Mursi must be surprised as all hell -- he likely figured he had this whole pharaoh thing figured out...

Charles @#2: usually it's precisely the Islamicists (or the communists, or the fascists, etc) who stick their necks out, and it's the good people in the majority who back down.

As someone once said, if only Kerensky had shot a few people, millions might have lived. But he didn't, so the Bolsheviks took power.
Posted by: Steve White   2012-12-04 18:14  

#11  Wonder if they were watching a video?
Posted by: Skidmark   2012-12-04 17:52  

#10  I wouldn't cheer just yet.

The Islamists might have numbers, but they aren't willing to stick they're neck out.

For now. Remember how long the Tiananmen Square demos went on, before the Chinese government crushed them.

And I highly doubt the White House (and the various and sundry Western and international 'usual suspects') will do anything but bleat in feigned outrage when the repression happens.
Posted by: Pappy   2012-12-04 16:49  

#9  It is my fervent hope that they disgrace Mursi and his backer O before the world, and achieve some semblance of representative constitutional government. About time the world sees this V2 of the same olde dicatorship fall.
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2012-12-04 16:04  

#8  Down to the mosqkkke for Training Union and Dinner on the Grounds.
Posted by: Shipman   2012-12-04 16:04  

#7  Oh, the poor baby!

My picoviolin must be around here somewhere...
Posted by: Barbara   2012-12-04 15:58  

#6  Clash of ideals will never end in the muslim world with some wanting democracy and others wanting Sharia Law.

Democracy Versus Sharia Law is what all the clashes are about whether in Iran,Egypt,Pakistan etc.

The West wants democracy whilst the Islamists want Sharia Law.

Do the muslim world want democracy or Sharia law?

Time will tell.
Posted by: Hupusosing Grinese3585   2012-12-04 15:58  

#5  Did he flee to an army base to rally his supporters..

I guess his replacement politically correct generals haven't had time to 'motivate' the troops yet.
Posted by: Procopius2k   2012-12-04 15:52  

#4  Seems a little early in the game to be fleeing the palace. Usually you get 2-3 good years of tyranny, oppression and theft before it's time to beat feet.
Posted by: SteveS   2012-12-04 15:50  

#3  
Posted by: DarthVader   2012-12-04 15:36  

#2  Not surprising. The Islamists might have numbers, but they aren't willing to stick they're neck out. The liberal faction is the one that did against Mubarak, and doing the same thing now.
Posted by: Charles   2012-12-04 15:24  

#1  "curly toed slippers don't fails me now!"
Posted by: Frank G   2012-12-04 15:19  

00:00