Officials of the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) on Thursday said that recent demonstrations staged by Coptic Christians in Giza were of a "premeditated" nature.
Over three thousand Copts protested on Wednesday after construction of an unlicensed church was halted by authorities.
One Coptic man was killed and dozens others wounded in subsequent clashes with security forces.
“Demonstrators had no excuse to commit acts of violence against security personnel,” said NDP Secretary-General Safwat al-Sherif. “They have no respect for the law."
“It was all a misunderstanding,” he added. “Public prosecutors have told the real story."
Al-Sherif went on to say that the ruling party was "confident" that Egypt's Muslims and Copts would stand against any attempt to foment sedition in Egypt, especially within the context of Sunday's parliamentary elections.
“We have to preserve our national unity and deprive certain opportunists of making use of sectarian events to achieve political objectives,” he said.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
