Cairo presidential palace on fire
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The Egyptian presidential palace is on fire after taking dozens of Molotov cocktails from angry demonstrators demanding justice for the killers of more than 50 people in Egypt’s latest unrest. Many also shouted that the government must step down.
The deployment of water cannon has so far failed to disperse the crowd.
There were similar demonstrations in Port Said, Ismailia and Suez.
Cairo: Protesters clash with security at presidential palace
Egyptian security used water cannon and fired shots into the air as
protesters threw petrol bombs and stones into the grounds of the presidential palace in Cairo on Friday.
The clashes came amid rallies in several cities against Islamist President Mohamed Morsi following unrest that killed 56 people, mostly in Port Said, after 21 residents were sentenced to death over a football-related riot in 2012.
The night sky was lit by fireworks set off by protesters above the north Cairo palace, as the crackle of gunshots fired from the military's Republican Guard from behind the palace walls filled the air.
The Republican Guard appealed for calm and accused the protesters of trying to enter the palace, in a statement reported by the official MENA news agency.
Police, who had initially withdrawn inside the compound, advanced on protesters using armoured cars while firing tear gas.
Elsewhere, thousands of protesters took to the streets to protest against Morsi, whom they accuse of betraying the revolution that brought him to power last June.
Scores of protesters skirmished with riot police several hundred metres (yards) from Cairo's Tahrir Square, witnesses said, and two were wounded by birdshot fired by police.
But the clash was far less intense than last week's deadly unrest which killed 56 people, most of them in Port Said, where violence erupted after 21 residents were sentenced to death over football-related violence a year ago.
Thousands of people protested in Port Said on Friday calling for Morsi's removal, unfazed by the military deployment in the canal city, and similar marches took place in the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria.
Egypt’s National Salvation Front urges anti-Morsi protests
Egypt's National Salvation Front (NSF), a coalition of opposition parties and groups, has urged people to take it to streets against President Morsi’s regime.
The Front accuses Morsi of imposing his will on the nation and ruling in favor of the Muslim Brotherhood Islamists.
Egypt’s police, on their part, called for peaceful and civilized protests.
Earlier, a number of opposition leaders signed a deal renouncing violence and backing dialogue at a meeting in Al-Azhar University in Cairo.
Mass demonstrations on Friday in Egypt
The National Salvation Front of Egypt has announced a mass meeting and demonstration on Friday against the policies of the current authorities.
A march is to be held with the goal of the marchers being the residence of President Mohammed Morsi in Cairo.
Among the demands of the opposition: the resignation of the country's leadership, the abolition of the new constitution and the dissolution of the parliament's upper house.
The National Salvation Front issued a statement regarding the protest a few hours after the signing of a document called “non-Violence” at the Muslim University, Al-Azhar, by major political parties.
They are to be joined by leading Islamist movements including The Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafist party An-Nur.
Unrest across Egypt has not subsided since last Friday.
At least 60 people have been killed and hundreds have been injured in clashes.