400 injured in Egypt clashes

More than 400 Egyptians were injured today in clashes between supporters and opponents of President Mohammed Mursi who staged rival rallies across the country ahead of planned protests by the opposition this weekend against the Islamist leader.
Tens of thousands of supporters of president Mursi have been converging in Rab'a al-Adawiay square.
Today's demonstration is aimed at pre-empting mass protests planned by the opposition on Sunday, the anniversary of Mursi's inauguration.
On the other hand protesters took to the streets in several cities in Egypt to object to the Muslim Brotherhood and Mursi.
Clashes erupted in the coastal city of Alexandria where rubber pellets and stoned were used to disperse protesters. As a result more than 200 were injured.

Clashes in other cities left another 200 injured as protesters stormed the headquarters of the Muslim Brotherhood in various parts of the country and set a few of them on fire.

The ministry of interior has kept its promise of keeping a distance from both sides but protesters reported several officers were giving them a thumbs-up as they passed them.
The authorities are reported to have called in riot police and army helicopters to try to quell the violence.
The preacher delivering the sermon at the Friday prayers in Rab'a square accused the opposition of being against religion in addition to being against the president.

They insist his achievements have been belittled by the media and his efforts not highlighted enough.
Military tanks were deployed in the streets of Cairo a few days ago around the main establishments including the central bank and the presidential palace.
Rebellion campaign, which started three months ago collecting signatures by Egyptians to withdraw support from President Mursi, claims it has so far gathered more than 15 million signatures and therefore can strip him of his legitimacy.
Their plan was to take to the street on June 30, the day Mursi would complete a year in power.
But Mursi supporters said they would fill the squares as of June 28 to abort the planned protests by opposition.

For the past several days, Mursi's opponents and members of his Muslim Brotherhood have battled it out in the streets of several cities in the Nile Delta in violence that has left at least five dead.