LIVE BLOG: Egypt's #Nov28 Islamist protests
- The Salafist Front has called for protests to “restore the Islamic identity" and "establish Sharia law” in the country since 31 October
- Other groups are expected to take part including the Salafist al-Watan and al-Asala parties; the Jamaa Islamiyya; Islamic Jihad; the Muslim Brotherhood and student activist groups.
- Army forces began deploying on Thursday at 'vital' locations across the country, according to a statement by the Defense Ministry.
- Minister of interior Mohamed Ibrahim said that any attack on police, armed forces or state facilities will be considered a crime, giving authorities the right to use live ammunition.
Live Updates
That's us signing off for now, but we will be back in case of any further escalations.
Here is a short summary of today's events so far:
- Protests were reported in several sites across Egypt, namely Cairo and Alexandria
- Many roads and squares were closed by police ahead of the protest
- Three protesters have reportedly been killed in the Mataiya district in Cairo
- An army officer has been killed in Alexandria, and a solider killed north of Cairo
- A total of 145 people were arrested, the ministry of interior said in a statement on its official Facebook page.
- An improvised explosive device exploded in the Nile Delta province of Sharkiya. Six people were injured.
A large security convoy including Cairo Police Chief Ali Demerdash reportedly visited several Cairo districts including Gesr al-Suez, where an earlier shooting took place. This footage shows dozens of high-ranking police officials and armed security officials surrounding the Demerdash.
An explosion has been reported near central security building in Sidi Bishr, Alexandria.
Amateur video footage from the scene, which appeared on social media, seems to show army tanks and fire engines rushing to the scene, shortly following the blast that took place about an hour ago.
Credit: YouTube/AlexandriaRevolution
Protesters at marches across Egypt have held aloft copies of the Qur'an, despite controversy surrounding its use at Friday's demonstrations.
The Salafi Front, which organised the protest, called for people to hold copies of the holy book during the marches, to show that "Sharia law is the answer to the problems facing our society."
In response, Egypt's primary religious institution, al-Azhar, criticised the call, dubbing it "an exploitation of religion."
On Friday, the Salafi Front posted pictures of protesters from around the country holding aloft their copies of the book.
Egyptians are protesting in front of the Egyptian consulate in Istanbul, Turkey.
They were holding a banner emblazoned with the name given to the protests by the Salafist Front, Muslim Youth Uprising.
An Egyptian army officer has been killed in clashes with protesters in Alexandria, northern Egypt.
There were reports earlier in the day that demonstrators had fired on a police car in the town.
At least six people are known to have been arrested during marches in Alexandria so far today.
A homemade bomb went off Friday in Cairo's Abdel Moneim Riad Square in downtown, head of Cairo investigations Mohamed Qassem said.
An unknown person threw the bomb from 6 October bridge, Qassem added.
Six people were injured earlier after an improvised explosive device (IED) went off in the Nile Delta province of Sharkiya, a security source said.
A group of protesters have reportedly gathered in Tahrir Square to carry out a counter-demonstration after Islamist groups took to the streets across some Egyptian cities following Friday prayers.
Apache helicopters are reportedly circuling the skies of Matareya, Aljazeera reported.
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Matareya has reportedly crowds of protests on the streets after Friday prayers. One protester named Ahmed Hassan was reportedly killed during the demonstration.
The Salafist Front, the protest's main organiser, said on Friday that women should "cheer from the balconies" and document events rather than taking to the streets themselves.
However, women have taken to the streets after Friday prayers in defiance of the directions.
The Salafist Front's Facebook page posted images of a demonstration in Nasr City, a south-eastern suburb of the capital Cairo, showing large numbers of women marching alongside men.
