Egypt police disperse Islamist protests

Egyptian police dispersed several rallies by Islamists on Friday, firing tear gas at protesters in Cairo as the government tries to stamp out unrest since president Mohammed Morsi's July overthrow. Riot police clashed with Islamist supporters of Morsi in Fayyum province, southwest of the capital, and broke up several protests in Cairo soon after they started, security officials said.

Police have shown little tolerance for the Islamists' rallies since Morsi's overthrow in July, and a new protest law allows them to swiftly clamp down on all but interior ministry sanctioned rallies. (AFP)