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At least three women died in clashes between supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi and anti-Morsi protesters in Mansoura on Friday.
Reports said “thugs” were involved in the clashes that lasted until Saturday morning.
Supporters of Morsi took to the streets in the city of Daqahleya in Mansoura on Friday to take part in the so-called Breaking the coup marches that the Muslim Brotherhood had called for in all governorates.
The marches started after taraweeh prayers in front of the Mansoura University stadium and involved chanting against the army; they marched towards Al-Teraa Street where clashes took place.
Authorities confirmed the death of three women: Hala Mohamed Abu Sheshaa, Islam Ali Abdul Khaleq, Amal Farahat, while the Brotherhood and state-owned Al-Ahram, reported a fourth death, identified as Ferial Ismail.
Adel Al-Saeed, a Mansoura Hospital official, told AFP that at least seven people were injured in the clashes.
Prosecutor General Hisham Barakat ordered an urgent investigation into the clashes on Saturday, reported Aswat Masriya.
The National Coalition to Support Legitimacy (NCSL), a coalition of Islamist parties supporting Morsi, accused “thugs of the former [Mubarak] regime” as well as security of killing the four women and injuring 200.
The 6 April Movement in Daqahleya released a statement on Friday condemning the clashes. They also rejected what they called the “media’s framing the incident as clashes between protesters and supporters, when it was really between Morsi supporters and thugs of the former regime.”
“We stress our rejection of the demands of the protesters to put ousted president Morsi back in power, but we also reject attacking them,” the 6 April statement read.
They also held Brotherhood leaders responsible for the clashes, saying they refused to change routes despite knowing that “thugs” were waiting for them.
“Our political disputes shouldn’t kill our humanity,” read the statement.
