Update: Four dead, over 100 arrested nationwide in Friday clashes

Four were killed and 15 were injured in clashes between supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood members and police forces on Friday. A statement released by the Health Ministry on Saturday, announced that the casualties and injuries occurred in Cairo, Giza, Fayoum and Minya. Seven have been released from hospital while the remaining eight are under medical observation, according to the statement, reported privately owned daily Al-Shorouk.

The most serious confrontations occurred in October 6 City. Protesters there accused police forces of using live ammunition to disperse the demonstrators and say at least one was killed. That report has not been confirmed.

Brotherhood students also marched in Cairo University on Friday, protesting the death of a fellow student on Thursday during clashes with security forces on campus, reported the state-owned Al-Ahram newspaper.

Once again, the students’ demonstration turned into a violent encounter with the police in Nahda Square.

There was also a major Brotherhood protest in Cairo’s Ain Shams neighborhood. Demonstrators blocked Ali Pasha Bridge and reportedly raised Al-Qaeda flags, according to Al-Ahram.

Clashes erupted in Helwan when Brotherhood-affiliated protesters took to the streets to denounce the military and police brutality. They reportedly blocked the roads and threw rocks at security forces who fired tear gas to disperse them, said the state-owned Middle East News Agency (MENA).

In Giza’s Omraneya district, Brotherhood protesters allegedly attacked a female photojournalist, causing police forces to fire tear gas to disperse the demonstration, reported the privately owned daily newspaper Al-Shorouk.

The head of the Fayoum Security Directorate told the privately owned television channel Al-Hayat that Brotherhood protesters fired live ammunition and pellet shots at police forces in the side streets of Fayoum. At least one was shot dead and five others injured, according to the Health Ministry, said MENA.

In Suez, police forces fired tear gas to disperse a Brotherhood protest, MENA reported. Security officials told MENA that the protesters violated the Protest Law that obliges demonstration organizers to notify police about the protest at least 24 hours in advance.

Several protests were also dispersed in the Alexandria governorate, MENA said, where police forces arrested 15 demonstrators who were allegedly in possession of machine guns and Al-Qaeda flags.

In Minya, four Brotherhood protesters were arrested on charges of violating the Protest Law by demonstrating without prior notification of security forces. Seven others were also arrested in the southern governorate of Beni Suef.

The National Alliance to Protect Legitimacy and Reject the Coup, an umbrella group headed by the Brotherhood to oppose the military-backed interim government, said in a statement that Friday's protests marked the start of the week-long "days of anger and national liberation" demonstrations leading up to the third anniversary of January 25 revolution next Saturday.

"We congratulate you on the success of the successful boycott [in a referendum on 2014 draft constitution] in a historical way and the huge fall of the referendum of blood," the statement said.

Preliminary results in the constitutional referendum that took place on Tuesday and Wednesday showed an approval rate of the draft exceeding 95 percent. The High Elections Commission is expected to declare final results on Saturday.

An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that least 33 were injured in the violence nationwide, eight of whom are still hospitalized, according to the Ministry of Health. The story has now been corrected to reflect that one died and five were injured in Fayoum.