Update: 16 dead in Cairo University clashes

Ministry of Health sources reported 16 dead and hundreds wounded in clashes near Cairo University between supporters of President Mohamed Morsi and their opponents on Tuesday evening. 

Eye witnesses said the violence started when a group of Morsi opponents approached a pro-president march, chanting against the him.

The march was held in the wake of nationwide calls for Morsi to resign.

A resident of nearby Bayn al-Sarayat neighborhood told Mada Masr that birdshot was fired. The resident, Mohamed Gamal, said he saw Muslim Brotherhood members storming the Cairo University campus as the clashes escalated.

Another Islamist protest also turned violent in Kitkat neighborhood in Giza, when residents attacked the demonstration, firing birdshot, a local journalist told Mada Masr. Shortly after when Mada Masr arrived on the scene, a group of residents were seen torturing a bearded man. 

Elsewhere, protests continued with no violence. In Tahrir, thousands continue to flock to the square on the third day of protests demanding Morsi’s fall.

“The sheep can never be the king of the jungle; the lion is the king of the jungle, and the people are the lions,” said Zakariya Mohey Eddin, a lawyer who came from Monufiya with 14 other men from his village, some of whom have camped in the square since Friday.

Anti-Morsi protesters have often called Brotherhood members sheep, suggesting they follow their leaders without question.

The Tamarod, or Rebel, campaign held a march to Qubba Presidential Palace in the afternoon. The campaign says it has gathered 22 million signatures demanding Morsi’s ouster. About 1,000 people marched to the palace, carrying various anti-Morsi signs.

“No one is against Islam. We’re only against Brotherhood rule,” a sign read.

A police truck arrived near the palace protest to joyful reception, while protesters carried three policemen to chants of “one hand.”

At Ettehadiya Presidential Palace, protesters contacted by Mada Masr said the mood is upbeat and the numbers are increasing.

A Brotherhood march, meanwhile, has been touring Nasr City to express support for Morsi, state-run news agency MENA reported.