Cairo- Egyptian security forces detained at least 60 members
of the Muslim Brotherhood Monday in the Nile Delta city of Damanhour
during a protest organized by the group in support of Gazans, security
and Muslim Brotherhood sources told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.
A security source, speaking on condition of anonymity because he is
not authorized to speak with the media, said that 'around 60' people
had been arrested.
Muslim Brotherhood sources, though, said that 180 people had been
arrested, and noted that police beat dozens of protesters as they
broke up the demonstration.
Security and Muslim Brotherhood sources estimated that the
demonstration attracted some 10,000 people, most of them members of
the group.
This is the second time in two days that security forces have
arrested members of the banned group, Egypt's largest opposition bloc,
for participating in demonstrations against Israeli military strikes
on Gaza.
Egyptian security officers detained 18 members of the group from
their homes in Alexandria shortly before dawn on Sunday under the
charge 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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