Egypt: '34 dead' in clashes amid rival demonstrations

At least 34 people have been killed and dozens
hurt in Egypt in clashes between police and
supporters of the deposed Islamist President
Mohammed Morsi.
More than 200 members of the Muslim Brotherhood
were arrested in Cairo, where 26 of the deaths were
reported.
Supporters of Mr Morsi marched in several cities, as the
military-backed government marked the 40th
anniversary of the 1973 Arab-Israeli war .
Morsi supporters say he was deposed in a military coup
in July.
'Critical time'
Hundreds of people had gathered in Cairo's Tahrir
Square to celebrate the anniversary.
Jets and Apache helicopters flew overhead in
formation, as part of a grand display of military
hardware by the government.
The crowd cheered the flypasts, a number of people
carrying portraits of defence chief Gen Abdel Fattah al-
Sisi. Some want him to stand as Egypt's next president.
But the BBC's Quentin Sommerville in Cairo says
supporters of Mr Morsi also took to the streets in their
thousands, trying to make their way to the square and
calling Gen Sisi a murderer.
Security forces used tear gas and fired into the air to
stop them.
The rival protests in Cairo turned into running street
battles
More than 200 members of the Muslim Brotherhood
have been arrested in connection with the violence, an
Egyptian security source told BBC Arabic.
Supporters of the military have been converging on
Tahrir Square to mark the 40th anniversary of the 1973
Arab-Israeli war
President Mansour laid a wreath as part of planned
commemorations
Egyptian society remains polarised by the military
overthrow of Islamist president Mohammed Morsi in
July.
In the upmarket Dokki district, a number of protesters
were hit by live rounds, some by birdshot. In return
they threw rocks at police and soldiers, our
correspondent says.
The street battles raged for hours, with small fires
burning and black smoke rising in several parts of the
capital.
But the military succeeded in keeping the rival
supporters apart, our correspondent says.
The interior ministry earlier warned it would confront
any "attempts that may disturb the 6 October
celebrations", the Mena state news agency reported.
In a televised address, Prime Minister Hazem Beblawi
described it as a "critical time" for the country and
urged Egyptians to "stand together, be optimistic about
the future".
The health ministry said that in addition to the Cairo
deaths, one person was killed in Delga, about 300km
(190 miles) south of Cairo, and another in Bani Suef,
80km south of the capital.
There were also clashes in the Suez Canal city of
Ismailiya.
Hundreds of Islamist protesters have died in violence
since the Egyptian military deposed Mr Morsi in July, 13
months after he was elected as president.
He and other senior Brotherhood figures have been
imprisoned and face trial.
The authorities are moving to seize the movement's
assets after its activities were banned as part of a
crackdown.
However, Brotherhood supporters have continued to
take to the streets to protest - albeit in smaller numbers
than before.

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