'Your papers, please' must never be heard in America
Egypt's opposition alliance was staging rallies across the country on Tuesday to protest a contentious Islamist-backed draft constitution, after the country's Ministry of Justice ordered a probe into allegations of widespread voting irregularities during Saturday's first round of voting on the document.
The Egyptian military on Monday assumed joint responsibility with the police for security and protecting state institutions until the results of a Dec. 15 constitutional referendum are announced.
Supporters and opponents of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi fought with rocks, firebombs and sticks outside the presidential palace in Cairo on Wednesday in large-scale clashes that marked the worst violence of a deepening crisis over the disputed constitution.
Egypt's Islamist president fled his palace by the back door Tuesday as riot police used clubs and tear gas to battle thousands of demonstrators protesting his seizure of broad powers that enabled him to push through a draft constitution.
The power struggle between Egypt's Islamic and secularist forces intensified Wednesday, with some analysts warning of civil war and supporters of the Islamist government planning to march Saturday on a central square in Cairo where opponents have been holding a sit-in for more than a week.
More than 200,000 people packed Cairo's central Tahrir square on Tuesday, chanting against Egypt's Islamist president in a powerful show of strength by the opposition demanding Mohammed Morsi revoke edicts granting himself near autocratic powers.
Thousands of opponents of Egypt's Islamist president clashed with his supporters in cities across the country Friday, burning several offices of the Muslim Brotherhood, in the most violent and widespread protests since Mohammed Morsi came to power, sparked by his move to grant himself sweeping powers.
Egypt's Islamist president unilaterally decreed greater authorities for himself Thursday and effectively neutralized a judicial system that had emerged as a key opponent by declaring that the courts are barred from challenging his decisions.
A scuffle has broken out between groups of several hundred protesters in Cairo after chants against the new Islamist president angered some in the crowd.
Egypt's military signaled its acquiescence Monday to the president's surprise decision to retire the defense minister and chief of staff and seize back powers that the nation's top generals grabbed from his office.
