Egypt leaders order 'all necessary measures' to clear Muslim Brotherhood protests

by Funmi Ojuroye

Egypt's new leaders have ordered police to clear the streets of Muslim Brotherhood protesters, in a dramatic escalation of the country's political crisis after the failure of the EU's foreign affairs representative Baroness Ashton to forge a compromise.

Egyptian supporters of the deposed president Mohamed Morsi hold his portrait and wave the national flags during a demonstration against the government in Cairo Photo: AFP/GETTY

The cabinet on Wednesday night issued an order to the interior ministry to take "all necessary measures" to end long-running sit-ins by supporters of the deposed president, Mohammed Morsi, at a mosque in north-east Cairo and in another square to the west.

"The continuation of the dangerous situation in Rabaa al-Adawiya and Nahda squares, and consequent terrorism and road blockages, are no longer acceptable given the threat to national security," its statement, read out on live television, said.

"The government has decided to take all necessary measures to confront and end these dangers, and tasks the interior minister to do all that is necessary in this regard, in accordance with the constitution and law."

Anti-regime activists immediately warned the statement was a thinly-veiled threat of a new massacre, after protesters came under fire near the mosque on two occasions since the coup which removed Mr Morsi. More than 50 died on the first occasion, and 80 on the second, in the early hours of Saturday morning.

There have been large numbers of women and even children camped out at the mosque, scene of a women's protest on Tuesday afternoon.At the same time, the prosecution authorities announced they were charging the three top leaders of the Brotherhood with inciting the killing of protesters outside its headquarters in Cairo last month.