Protesters attack presidential palace in Cairo

Protesters attack presidential palace in Cairo

A fire erupts near Egypt's presidential palace as protesters hurl Molotov cocktails and rocks at security forces, who respond with tear gas and water cannon. FULL STORY

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  By Ben Wedeman, CNN

  February 1, 2013 -- Updated 1821 GMT (0221 HKT)
  
  An Egyptian protester in front of the presidential palace in Cairo on Friday.
  STORY HIGHLIGHTS

  • Protesters, security forces battle outside Egyptian presidential palace
  • Protesters hurl Molotov cocktails and rocks; security forces respond with tear gas
  • Egypt has been embroiled in violence since last week
  Cairo (CNN) -- A fire erupted at the entrance of Egypt's presidential palace Friday night as protesters hurled Molotov cocktails and rocks in a battle with security forces, who responded with tear gas and water cannon.
  
  Egypt has been rocked by violence since last week's two-year anniversary of its 2011 revolution. Protesters have been angry over the slow pace of change and recent edicts by President Mohammed Morsy, who imposed a 30-day curfew on areas engulfed by violence.
  READ: Egyptian secular, Islamist groups meet to try to end conflict
  Earlier this week, anti-government protesters ignored Morsy's curfew order in cities along the Suez Canal and clashed with police and troops, raising more questions about the stability of the Middle East's most populous country.
  The protests are the latest in the seesaw struggle between Egypt's first democratically elected president and dissidents who say his tenure is a throwback to past dictatorships, particularly the reign of President Hosni Mubarak, toppled in the popular revolt two years ago.
  Could Egypt fall apart?
  Dozens of deaths have resulted, prompting Navi Pillay, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, to denounce the violence and call for dialogue among all parties.
  She said Morsy's state of emergency declaration should be governed by the rule of law, in line with international standards, and urged him to listen to the demands of demonstrators and take action to deal with problems in the judicial system.
  COPY  http://www.bbc.co.uk