Nazareth: Thousands protest Egypt bloodshed

Protesters demand return of ousted President Mohamed Morsi, denounce Defense Minister Abdel Fattah al-Sisi; say as long as bloodshed persists, protests will

Hassan Shaalan|Published: 08.17.13 , 20:32

Thousands protested in Nazareth Saturday against violence in Egypt, and ouster of President Mohamed Morsi, in a demonstration by the northern branch of the Islamic Movement.

Protesters were waving pictures of Morsi and denouncing Egyptian Defense Minister Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, some even stomping on his picture.

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Sami Mahjana, an Umm al-Fahm resident, told Ynet: "It's heartbreaking to see the images of those killed by the Egyptian army. (Egypt's) security as it is now forces us to take to the streets and condemn the massacre in Egypt."

Another Nazareth resident who attended the protest said "I can't possibly understand how al-Sisi allows himself to greenlight the killing of people. Morsi supporters have the right to protest the ouster, because Morsi was elected democratically, by the Egyptian people, and no citizen was forced to vote for the Muslim Brotherhood."

Protest in Nazareth (Photo: alarab.net)

Sheikh Kamal Hatib added that "We will continue to protest until Morsi is back in office. Today we are not only protecting Egyptian citizens or the Muslim Brotherhood – we are protecting democracy all over the world. Everyone know Morsi was elected democratically… as long as Egyptian blood is flowing through the streets, we will continue to protest."

The Nazareth protest is one of dozens around the world, as protesters cried out against the bloodshed.

An estimated 4,000 people were demonstrating in Istanbul in support of Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood, and against the "military massacre" in Egypt. Istanbul protesters said the Muslim world was “allowing the Egyptian citizens to be killed."

Hundreds gathered in Paris and about a hundred in Bern to express their support of ousted president Morsi.

On Friday, some 1,500 people flooded the main avenue in central Tunis, shouting support for the Egyptian people and condemning the Egyptian military and the US.

Protests also took place in Vienna, where 500 demonstrators, most of them Egyptian, gathered in Vienna's downtown, in Pakistan, in Sudan, in Yemen, and in Indonesia, where thousands took to the streets after Friday prayers in several cities.