Cairo - Egyptian security officers detained 18 members of
the Muslim Brotherhood, the country's largest opposition group, from
their homes in Alexandria shortly before dawn Sunday morning,
security sources said.
The men face charges of 'disturbing public order' in connection
with their alleged role in organizing a demonstration in Alexandria
on Friday, security sources said.
Some 100,000 people gathered in the Mediterranean city, a
traditional stronghold of the banned group, to call on the Egyptian
government to cut all ties with the Israeli government as the
military campaign in Gaza enters its third week.
The crisis in Gaza has heightened tensions between the Muslim
Brotherhood and the ruling National Democratic Party.
Clashes erupted in parliament several times over the course of
Saturday, with opposition and ruling-party members of parliament
angrily accusing each other of being 'traitors' for their respective
stances on Gaza.
Fellow Brotherhood MPs had to restrain Ashraf Badr from hitting
ruling-party MP Hassan Nashat with his shoe.
Muslim Brotherhood MPs, who occupy their seats as independents
because the group is officially banned, have repeatedly called on the
Egyptian government to open Egypt's border with Gaza to allow
humanitarian supplies to reach the territory and to allow Gazans to
flee the fighting.
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