CAIRO – Masked gunmen attacked protesters camped outside the presidential palace, hurling firebombs at their tents and firing birdshot in clashes that left policemen and civilians injured, a security official said Sunday. The gunmen threw petrol bombs overnight and set fire to the tents of protesters – opponents of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi – who have been camping out for more than a month. When police intervened the gunmen fired birdshot into the crowd, the official said. The health ministry said seven policemen, including a senior officer, and 16 civilians were injured in the clashes. A security official said two gunmen were later arrested. The protesters have been demanding that Morsi annul an Islamist-backed constitution that has polarised the country. Last month, the document was approved by 64 percent of voters in a referendum, but only 33 percent of the eligible electorate turned out. In November, Morsi issued a decree allowing for the constitution to be rushed through which led to deadly clashes sparking the worst political crisis since he took office in June. The opposition fears the Islamists are riding roughshod over civil, political and human rights and the rights of women. Meanwhile, the EU president told Egypt's president that guarantees of freedoms of expression and religions are essential for attracting foreign investors and tourists. Herman van Rompuy added that genuine democracy can be achieved only through consensus and inclusiveness. He spoke after meeting Morsi, who is facing an economic crisis brought on by two years of political turmoil. Morsi is Egypt's first freely elected president, but the six months he has been in office have been defined by what his liberal and secular critics see as attempts by his fundamentalist Muslim Brotherhood to monopolize power and the hurried adoption of a constitution drafted by his Islamist allies and adopted by nearly 64 percent of the voters in a referendum, with a turnout of just 32 percent. – Agencies
