Enter Egypt, a country full of rich history and beautiful sites that now faces blood-soaked civil unrest. Following is an illustrative overview of the raid on the sit-in Morsi camp, the Muslim Brotherhood’s “day of rage,” and everything in-between. Much of the content contains graphic and unsettling material depicting the escalating violence after the deposition of President Mohammed Morsi.
On Wednesday, Aug. 14, Egyptian military and police forces raided the Morsi supporters’ camp at Adawiya. Hundreds of protestors were killed and thousands more were injured. Police also suffered casualties, though in far fewer numbers.
Soldiers in Cairo kept guard in tanks and other armored vehicles.
Much of Cairo was set ablaze during the day. Armored vehicles patrolled the streets.
Police and military used riot shields to defend against the Morsi supporters, who hurled rocks and other objects at them.
Police initially used less-than-lethal rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the sit-in Morsi group.
Police arrested morsi supporters at Nahda square in Cairo.
Some protestors were armed.
The police were heavily armored, and heavily armed.
Various reports stated police and military snipers were used to combat the escalating violence. Some reports indicate they were specifically targeting persons who were taking picture or video of the incident. In the following video, a sniper is clearly seen taking aim atop a hotel roof near the Morsi camp in Rabaa.
In this video a woman is shot from what appears to be sniper fire. At the 14-second mark the woman is seen holding what looks like a video recorder. It was reported this was the same location as the aforementioned video, in the vicinity of Rabaa.
On the same day, a mob of angry protestors shoved an armored police van off the 50-foot 6th October bridge in Cairo. These photos and video capture that moment.
Morsi protestors shoved an armored police van off a 50 ft brdige.
The van flipped mid-air, landing upside-down.
The protestors cheered as the vehicle fell.
It is unknown how many police officers were inside the armored van, but some reports say five were killed in the fall.
Morsi protestors dragged the mutilated bodies of the police officers.
When the Morsi supporters at the Rabaa al-Adawiya protest camp refused to disperse, the Egyptian police forewent their less-than-lethal options and engaged them in a lethal gun battle.
As the day waned on, the body count grew with it. Reports vary on how many Morsi supporters were killed but some estimates put it close to 700, with thousands more being injured.
Thursday, many of the mosques were converted to morgues, where multitudes of bodies wrapped in white sheets were laid out across the floors.
The mosques were converted into morgues in Cairo.
Thursday also brought with it more atrocities. The military and police exchanged gunfire with Morsi supporters, some of whom were also armed with AK-47 style rifles and an assortment of handguns. When the armored vehicles rolled in, it was “game over.”
Friday, the Muslim Brotherhood, along with anti-military and anti-coup organizations, called for a “day of rage” and uprising. Tens of thousands of protestors marched into the city center where they clashed with police and security forces throughout the day.
The Muslim Brotherhood clashed with police near Ramses in Cairo.
Soldiers guard the entrance to Tahrir Square in Cairo.
An officer was injured after a clash with the Morsi supporters.
Some Morsi supporters were armed.
The blood-shed spread from Cairo, spilling out into Ismailia, which is approximately a 90 minute drive away. It was much the same story there. Military and police fought against the Morsi protestors. In this video, police shoot an obviously unarmed protestor as he approaches too close to their armored vehicles.
As the sun began to sink over the horizon, the Muslim Brotherhood declared a week of protests, a move which will undoubtedly bring further violence and bloodshed.
The Muslim Brotherhood called for a week of protest.
In light of this, I am left with some questions. Should Morsi be reinstated? What is the best way for Egypt to regain peace with itself? With our persistent militarization of police here in America, are we susceptible to similar circumstances?
What do you think?
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