Anniversary of Egyptian revolution: Seven dead, 379 injured as unrest returns

Thousands of protestors took to the streets of Egypt Friday on the eve the second anniversary of the revolt that removed President Hosni Mubarak from power. The demonstrations reportedly turned violent, however, with deadly clashes breaking out between opponents of recently elected President Mohammad Morsi and police.

According to one report, five people were killed and several injured in Suez, with deadly clashes between Morsi supporters and his opponents. Two deaths were also reported in other parts of the country. Police also clashed with anti-Morsi protesters in Cairo, outside his palace and around the famous Tahrir Square.

Reports of similar clashes also came in from Alexandria and Ismailia, where the Headquarters of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood party was set on fire. Into Saturday morning, thousands of demonstrators were still in clashes with security forces in Cairo.

Meanwhile, the security chief in Suez said that his forces didn’t open fire on demonstrators. As of Saturday morning, armored security vehicles were patrolling Suez at the request of the city’s police chief, who accused the opposition of attacking his forces. He also said the security situation was heading out of control there.

Morsi opponents are accusing him of betraying the revolution. The president has requested all forces to calm down and end the crisis. According to one report, at least 379 people were wounded in 12 regions around the country.

"Our revolution is continuing. We reject the domination of any party over this state. We say no to the Brotherhood state," leftist leader Hamdeen Sabahi said, referring to the Islamist movement to which Morsi belongs, according to BBC.

The Egyptian political turbulence returns as the country continues its efforts to establish peace, security and stability after the dismissal of Mubarak, who ruled Egypt for three decades and was accused of forcefully dealing with political disagreements.

Morsi, who in 2012 became Egypt’s first democratically elected president, has since turned into a target for Egypt’s secular, liberal and non-Muslim communities, who accuse him of not being inclusive or true to the revolution's objectives. After coming to power, Morsi has been following in the footsteps of the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamist group of which he has been a former member.