News / Middle East

Egypt's Cabinet Resigns Amid Deadly Clashes

Wounded protesters are shown in Cairo's Tahrir Square,  November 21, 2011.
Wounded protesters are shown in Cairo's Tahrir Square, November 21, 2011.
TEXT SIZE - +

Egypt's state television says the Cabinet has submitted its resignation to the ruling military council amid days of deadly clashes between police and pro-democracy protesters.

The state news agency MENA reported Monday the Cabinet members will continue to perform their duties until the military council decides whether to accept the resignations.

Egyptian morgue officials say three days of clashes in Cairo and elsewhere have killed at least 22 people and wounded more than 1,700.

Related video report by Elizabeth Arrott

The U.N. secretary-general and the White House both said Monday they are "deeply concerned" about the violence and urged restraint by all sides.

Protesters continue to hold Cairo's central Tahrir Square, where security forces fired tear gas at demonstrators hurling objects at police.

Clashes also erupted near Egypt's Interior Ministry. Reuters quotes an army official as saying the ministry requested protection against the angry protesters, who want the head of the ruling military to swiftly hand over power to a civilian government.

Many of the demonstrators have been chanting "The people want to topple the field marshal," a reference to Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, leader of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. The Tantawi-led council took power in February when a popular uprising ousted autocratic President Hosni Mubarak.

Pro-democracy activists have criticized the council for setting guidelines for a new constitution that would keep some military affairs beyond civilian control. The activists also want the military rulers to stop putting civilians on trial in military courts.

Egyptian police and troops had briefly dispersed the activists in Cairo Sunday by firing tear gas and rubber bullets. Anti-government demonstrations have spread to several other Egyptian cities, including Alexandria and Suez.

The military-led government held an emergency meeting Sunday and promised to begin staggered parliamentary elections as planned on November 28.

Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

Join the conversation on our social journalism site - Middle East Voices. Follow our Middle East reports on Twitter
and discuss them on our Facebook page.

You May Like

Pakistan Reiterates Opposition to US Drone Strikes

Day earlier US President Barack Obama justified 'constrained' drone usage to save lives More

Study Identifies Risks of Human Spread of H7N9 Bird Flu

Study suggest that international measures to contain the H7N9 influenza, in the event of severe outbreak, will need to be targeted in Asia More

Violence Continues in Conakry Over Upcoming Elections

Opposition has called for boycott of elections More

Video Syria's Civil War Fuels Violence in Iraq

Analysts say al-Qaida-linked militants are flowing back and forth from both countries More

Video Star Trek Influence Lives Long and Prospers

As new movie thrills, many are once again discussing the iconic franchise's influence on society, science and technology More

OECD: Developing Green Cities Key to Sustainable Future

OECD suggests strategies to mitigate rapid growth, industrialization in urban centers, which produce about two-thirds of greenhouse gas emissions More

This forum has been closed.
Comments
     
There are no comments in this forum. Be first and add one

Featured Videos

Your JavaScript is turned off or you have an old version of Adobe's Flash Player. Get the latest Flash player.
Your JavaScript is turned off or you have an old version of Adobe's Flash Player. Get the latest Flash player.
Video

Video Volunteers Help Revive LA's Concrete River

The Los Angeles River is a concrete drainage channel through much of its 80-kilometer length. It channels waste-water from storm drains and has become a receptacle for much of the city's trash. But as Mike O'Sullivan reports, the river is slowly being restored with the help of volunteers, who take part in an annual clean-up.