Egypt opposition calls for toppling Morsi, putting him on trial
Author: Nehal El-Sherif
Cairo (dpa) - Egypt's main opposition group said Saturday it supports protesters' calls to topple Islamist President Mohammed Morsi and to place him on trial for the nationwide unrest that has killed around 60 people in the past week.
"The National Salvation Front completely sides with people's demands to topple the tyrant regime and the domination of the Muslim Brotherhood on the government," the opposition coalition said.
It also called for "neutral judicial investigation in the killings, torture and unlawful detention, and putting all those responsible on a fair trial, starting with the president, his interior minister and all his partners in crime."
They condemned security abuses after video footage showed police stripping and beating a man before dragging him into an armoured vehicle outside the presidential palace during clashes with anti-government protesters.
Although the Interior Ministry apologized for "the individual act" and said it would investigate the incident, the video reignited condemnations by activists of the brutal crackdown used by police forces against demonstrators.
The incident took place shortly after Morsi said security forces would deal "with the utmost decisiveness to enforce the law and protect state institutions."
Clashes started when protesters threw petrol bombs and fireworks at the presidential palace, in northeastern Cairo, as police responded with tear gas and water cannons. A 23-year-old man was killed and 90 people were injured.
The opposition called on Egyptians to rally peacefully across the country "to defend human dignity."
The coalition also urged "an end to people's suffering due to poverty and high prices that comes as a result of policies that do not meet the aspiration of the Egyptians to achieve real social justice."
The National Salvation Front is led by Nobel Laureate Mohamed ElBaradei and former presidential candidates Amr Moussa and Hamdeen Sabahy.
Islamists and the opposition have repeatedly traded blame for the violence.
The opposition accuse Morsi, the country's first democratically elected president, of tightening the Brotherhood's hold on power and failing to revitalize an ailing economy.
His Islamist allies, meanwhile, accuse the secular opposition of inciting street violence and seeking to overthrow Morsi.
Clashes began on the eve of the second anniversary of the January 25 revolt that ousted Hosny Mubarak.
They were given fresh impetus when an Egyptian court handed down death sentences to 21 Port Said locals for their role in a deadly riot at a football match last year.
Thousands took to the streets across Egypt on Friday, blaming Morsi for failing to achieve the goals of the revolution.
They demanded Morsi to form a national unity government and amend the constitution amid other reforms. However, as violence continued, more people began calling for Morsi's ouster.
