President Mohamed Morsy met on Tuesday afternoon with the interior minister and other ministry leaders, giving instructions to protect peaceful protesters and act with restraint.
As protests continued in Cairo and several other governorates, presidential spokesperson Yasser Ali said Morsy told the Cabinet officials that police should deal with troublemakers, rioters and outlaws using restraint and in accordance with the law.
Scores of demonstrators in the capital on Tuesday evening blocked the 6 October Bridge and lit tires to disrupt traffic.
Meanwhile, clashes involving stone-throwing and tear gas continued between demonstrators and security forces around Qasr al-Nil Bridge, leading to dozens of injuries.
The clashes extended to Simon Bolivar Square at the cement barrier that protects the US embassy, and the authorities turned off the lights of the square.
In Alexandria, hundreds staged a peaceful demonstration on Tuesday, with the participation of members of the Popular Trend, the Karama Party, Kefaya and 6 April movements, and the National Salvation Front, demanding that the president step down.
They blocked the Corniche and threatened to escalate protests if their demands are not met. They also demanded the sacking of the interior minister for using excessive violence against demonstrators.
In Suez, protesters started gathering at Arbaeen Square downtown defying curfew for the second night late Tuesday evening. The protesters raised Egypt’s flag and chanted anti-Muslim Brotherhood slogans.
In Port Said, nearly 20,000 protesters from all over the governorate gathered in the area surrounding Mariam Mosque in Al-Manakh district, defying the curfew imposed in the city. The protesters chanted slogans against Morsy and pledged to continue breaching the curfew.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
