Cairo opposition protesters come under attack

Unknown assailants have attacked opposition protesters staging a sit-in outside the Egyptian presidential palace in the capital Cairo, setting their tents on fire.

The masked attackers threw Molotov cocktails at the protesters’ tents on Saturday and fired birdshot at security forces.

Egypt’s Interior Ministry said that four tents were destroyed and a total of 15 people, including seven security forces, were injured in the attacks.

“The police and military police have been negotiating with us since yesterday to leave the square,” Karim el-Shaer, an opposition protester, said.

“Today suddenly and only half an hour after the negotiations failed, we found thugs attacking us and burning our tents under the eyes of the security forces,” he added.

Protesters opposing the newly approved constitution began camping outside President Mohamed Morsi’s palace on December 4.

On December 25, Morsi signed into law the country’s constitution that is based on Islamic law, after it was announced that a total of 63.8 percent of Egyptian voters cast ballots in favor of the charter in a referendum that was held in two rounds.

The opposition complains that the text of the constitution, which President Morsi supports, fails to guarantee the rights of Egyptian women and minorities.

Before the referendum on the draft constitutions, a number of violent clashes erupted as supporters and opponents of Morsi’s decisions staged demonstrations in large Egyptian cities. A number of demonstrators lost their lives during the political turmoil.