Interior Minister Ahmed Gamal Eddin said Thursday that the police are exerting the maximum effort to secure citizens and facilities, stressing that policemen carry out their duties impartially and with integrity.
Gamal Eddin added in a statement that he hopes people recognize the police force’s rational performance during this critical moment in the country’s history.
Violent clashes between pro- and anti-Morsy supporters in the area surrounding the presidential palace Wednesday night left at least five shot dead and hundreds injured.
State-run MENA news service quoted a security official as saying that the police remained neutral while breaking up the clashes. The source noted that the police sometimes used foot soldiers and other times armored vehicles, and claimed that the police performance was applauded by both sides in the clashes.
The Interior Ministry statement said police forces used some tear gas to disperse the fighting. The statement added that the police were in a difficult position and tried to keep the situation under control.
However, eyewitnesses told Al-Masry Al-Youm Wednesday that the police assaulted anti-Morsy protesters and detained dozens of them during the clashes.
Former presidential hopeful Khaled Ali also accused the police of conspiracy against the protesters.
“In the vicinity of the presidential palace, blood has no price,” Ali wrote on his Twitter account. “The Muslim Brotherhood militia and the complicit police fired tear gas and bullets on the revolutionaries, who resisted using stones and chanting, ‘The revolution continues.’”
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
