On 14 August 2013, the

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

ian police (and to a lesser extent the armed forces), under the command of then-

Defense Minister A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divid ...

Abdel Fattah el-Sisi Abdel Fattah Saeed Hussein Khalil El-Sisi (born 19 November 1954) is an Egyptian politician and retired military officer who has been serving as the sixth and current president of Egypt since 2014. After the 2011 Egyptian revolution and 201 ...

, used lethal force to “disperse” two camps of

protest A protest (also called a demonstration, remonstration, or remonstrance) is a public act of objection, disapproval or dissent against political advantage. Protests can be thought of as acts of cooperation in which numerous people cooperate ...

ers in

Cairo Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...

: one at al-Nahda Square and a larger one at Rabaa al-Adawiya Square. The two sites had been occupied by supporters of President

Mohamed Morsi Mohamed Mohamed Morsi Eissa Al-AyyatThe spellings of his first and last names vary. survey of 14 news organizations plus Wikipedia in July 2012removed from office by the military a little over a month earlier following mass protests against his rule. Initiatives to end the six-week

sit-in A sit-in or sit-down is a form of direct action that involves one or more people occupying an area for a protest, often to promote political, social, or economic change. The protestors gather conspicuously in a space or building, refusing to mo ...

s by peaceful means had failed, and the camps were cleared out within hours.

Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Headquartered in New York City, the group investigates and reports on issues including War crime, war crimes, crim ...

described the sit-in dispersals as

crimes against humanity Crimes against humanity are certain serious crimes committed as part of a large-scale attack against civilians. Unlike war crimes, crimes against humanity can be committed during both peace and war and against a state's own nationals as well as ...

, and called them "one of the world's largest killings of demonstrators in a single day in recent history", in reference to the numerous deaths that occurred. The exact death toll during the incident is unclear, and multiple sources have given conflicting estimates. HRW states that at least 904 protesters were killed (817 in Rabaa Square and 87 in al-Nahda Square), while strongly suggesting that at least 1,000 protesters died during the dispersal. The Egyptian Health Ministry announced that 595 protesters and 43 police officers were killed, and at least 3,994 individuals were injured. The official Forensic Medical Authority stated that the number of police officers killed was eight. Egypt's National Council for Human Rights stated that at least 624 civilians were killed. The

Muslim Brotherhood The Society of the Muslim Brothers ('' ''), better known as the Muslim Brotherhood ( ', is a transnational Sunni Islamist organization founded in Egypt by Islamic scholar, Imam and schoolteacher Hassan al-Banna in 1928. Al-Banna's teachings s ...

and the National Coalition for Supporting Legitimacy stated the number of deaths from the Rabaa al-Adawiya Mosque sit-in alone was about 2,600. The total casualty count made 14 August the deadliest day in Egypt since the

2011 Egyptian revolution The 2011 Egyptian revolution, also known as the 25 January Revolution (;), began on 25 January 2011 and spread across Egypt. The date was set by various youth groups to coincide with the annual Egyptian "Police holiday" as a statement against ...

which toppled former President

Hosni Mubarak Muhammad Hosni El Sayed Mubarak (; 4 May 1928 – 25 February 2020) was an Egyptian politician and military officer who served as the fourth president of Egypt from 1981 to 2011 and the 41st Prime Minister of Egypt, prime minister from 1981 to ...

. Several world leaders denounced the deadly violence during the sit-in dispersals. As the violent acts of retaliation by Islamist groups against security personnel and churches followed in several cities across Egypt, the military-appointed interim government declared a three-month-long

state of emergency A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state before, during, o ...

and

curfew A curfew is an order that imposes certain regulations during specified hours. Typically, curfews order all people affected by them to remain indoors during the evening and nighttime hours. Such an order is most often issued by public authorit ...

s were enforced in many cities.

Background

Following the

which ousted

, and subsequent instability, mass protests calling for the resignation of President

Mohamed Morsi Mohamed Mohamed Morsi Eissa Al-AyyatThe spellings of his first and last names vary. survey of 14 news organizations plus Wikipedia in July 2012 2013 Egyptian coup d'état The 2013 Egyptian coup d'etat or the Counter-revolutionary, Counter-revolution is an event that took place on 3 July 2013. Egyptian army chief General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi led a coalition to remove the democratically elected President of Egypt ...

. Prior to the anti-Morsi uprising, supporters of the deposed president occupied two squares – Rabaa al-Adawiya in Nasr City, Cairo and al-Nahda in Giza – originally to celebrate the one-year anniversary of his presidency, but from 3 July onwards to protest his ouster, vowing to remain there until Morsi was reinstated. Authorities delayed clearing the two protest camps as internal and external reconciliation processes were established to attempt to resolve the crisis peacefully. According to the military, the sit-ins were flash points for outbreaks of violence and bloody confrontations amongst pro-Morsi, anti-Morsi demonstrators and security forces. The encampments became more permanent with stores, barbers and their own television station. Authorities saw the camps as destabilising and disruptive and representing "a threat to the Egyptian national security and an unacceptable terrorizing of citizens," accusing the pro-Morsi side of provoking bloodshed to win sympathy. They also considered the standoff a hinder to putting Egypt on a "roadmap" to restoring civilian democracy, with a new constitution and new elections. The government threatened a raid on the protest camps on multiple occasions. An ultimatum was issued prior to 14 August, although

Al-Azhar Al-Azhar Mosque (), known in Egypt simply as al-Azhar, is a mosque in Cairo, Egypt in the historic Islamic core of the city. Commissioned as the new capital of the Fatimid Caliphate in 970, it was the first mosque established in a city that ...

, Egypt's official Islamic authority, denied that such a warning had been given. Anti-coup sit-in at Rabaa Adiweya mosque 2013

Warning

Initiatives in an attempt to resolve the tension, including foreign-backed efforts by Gulf Arab countries, the E.U. and the U.S.A., failed to yield a positive outcomes. The state authorities referenced these failures and issued the ultimatum. Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi warned ahead of the Muslim

Eid al-Fitr Eid al-Fitr () is the first of the two main Islamic holidays, festivals in Islam, the other being Eid al-Adha. It falls on the first day of Shawwal, the tenth month of the Islamic calendar. Eid al-Fitr is celebrated by Muslims worldwide becaus ...

holiday that the government's decision to clear the sit-ins was "irreversible". According to the

Interior Ministry An interior ministry or ministry of the interior (also called ministry of home affairs or ministry of internal affairs) is a government department that is responsible for domestic policy, public security and law enforcement. In some states, the ...

, the plan was to disperse the six-week-old sit-ins gradually by forming cordons around the two sites as early as dawn Monday, 12 August, allowing protesters to leave but preventing others from getting in, to minimize casualties before using water cannons and tear gas. Leaked news of the plan prompted thousands of protesters to defiantly flood into two protest camps, prompting police to postpone the move as the protesters fortified the sit-in camps. In Rabaa, men with helmets, sticks and what appeared to be protective sports equipment guarded barricades made of sandbags, truck tires and brick. They also built three concrete waist-high barriers to stop armored vehicles from entering the camps.

Dispersal

On 14 August 2013, shortly after 7:00 am, Egyptian police moved in to disperse the camps. According to the

, the plan was to stop the protests gradually by cutting off supply lines while providing a safe exit for those who elected to leave. By 8:00 the smaller camp – near

Cairo University Cairo University () is Egypt's premier public university. Its main campus is in Giza, immediately across the Nile from Cairo. It was founded on 21 December 1908;"Brief history and development of Cairo University." Cairo University Faculty of En ...

Giza Giza (; sometimes spelled ''Gizah, Gizeh, Geeza, Jiza''; , , ' ) is the third-largest city in Egypt by area after Cairo and Alexandria; and fourth-largest city in Africa by population after Kinshasa, Lagos, and Cairo. It is the capital of ...

— was cleared of protesters. However, it took about 12 hours for police to take control of the main sit-in site near the Rabaa al-Adawiya Mosque that served as the epicenter of the pro-Morsi campaign. Police in riot gear fire birdshot and tear gas, supported by bulldozers to clear barricades for armored vehicles. Military helicopters swooped low over the encampment and, using loudspeakers, warned the thousands of demonstrators to leave the area along designated routes to safety. Thousands of Morsi supporters chanting "

Allahu Akbar Allah ( ; , ) is an Arabic term for God, specifically the God of Abraham. Outside of the Middle East, it is principally associated with Islam (in which it is also considered the proper name), although the term was used in pre-Islamic Arabia ...

" tried to join those besieged by the security forces but they were driven away when police fired tear gas. All entrances to Rabaa were blocked by security forces. Brotherhood spokesman Gehad El-Haddad alleged that police snipers fired at Rabaa protesters from the rooftop of surrounding buildings and protesters also said that snipers fired down on those trying to flee or reach safety. In the afternoon, the protesters managed to push the police back to the point where they could get into a makeshift hospital. Shortly before dusk, soldiers and police officers renewed their push and protestors were forced to flee. Government forces seized control, destroying what remained of the protest camp. The National Coalition for Supporting Legitimacy, a pro-Morsi group, reiterated its rejection of violence and called on its members to continue to protest "to stop the massacre". The attacks set off retaliatory clashes and protest marches. Protesters blocked important roads, including the Ring Road, a key route that connects many of Cairo's major districts. Crowds of Morsi supporters marched toward eastern Cairo in the late morning, running into a barrage of gunfire as they confronted police lines. Separately, a number of attacks on police stations occurred around the country. Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim put the number of stations attacked at 21. Angry mobs also attacked dozens of Christian properties. By nightfall, the military-backed interim government had declared a state of emergency and instituted a curfew. However, protesters established new sit-ins outside Mustafa Mahmoud Mosque in Mohandeseen, Giza and others in cities around the country, defying the new curfew and the interior minister's vows to break up any such assemblies. Initial reports by the Egyptian Health Ministry said 235 protesters, three journalists and 43 policemen died in the violence and more than 2,000 were injured, with the death toll expected to rise. Egyptian state television aired images of weapons confiscated from the sit-in protesters' camps, including automatic rifles and thousands of rounds of ammunition. An Egyptian free-to-air satellite news television channel aired infrared footage appearing to show pro-Brotherhood rioters firing automatic weapons against security forces. Some political analysts opined that the force used by the police was designed to provoke a violent response from supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood to justify the police response.

Aftermath

The violence spread across the country as people learned what had happened in Cairo and many protesters took to the streets in anger. In the

Giza Governorate Giza ( ') is one of the Subdivisions of Egypt#Governorates, governorates of Egypt. It is in the center of the country, situated mostly on the west bank of the Nile River opposite Cairo. Its capital is the city of Giza. It includes a stretch of ...

, an angry mob attacked a police station, one of 21 such attacks according to the interior ministry. In southern Egypt, between two and seven

Coptic Christian Copts (; ) are a Christian ethnoreligious group native to Northeast Africa who have primarily inhabited the area of modern Egypt since antiquity. They are, like the broader Egyptian population, descended from the ancient Egyptians. Copts pre ...

churches were burned to the ground, according to ''The New York Times'', while the interior ministry said that at least seven Coptic Christian churches had been vandalised or torched by Islamists. One Coptic rights group, Maspero Youth Union (MYU), estimated that as many as 36 churches were devastated by fire across nine Egyptian governorates including in Minya, Sohag and Assiut, and many other churches were looted or stormed in the ensuing street violence. Christian activists accused Morsi supporters of waging "a war of retaliation against Copts in Egypt."

supporters also attacked government headquarters in several governorates. Supporters of Morsi staged solidarity protests against the crackdown, with clashes reported in Ismailia, Alexandria, Suez, Upper Egypt's Assiyut and Aswan and other places. In defiance of the curfew, Morsi supporters vowed to return to the streets to continue protesting against the crackdown and coup. Egyptian banks and its stock market were closed through 15 August. Rail travel into and out of Cairo was also suspended. In Giza, hundreds of Morsi supporters set fire to local government offices. The government then authorised the use of live ammunition on anyone attacking state buildings.

Tamarod Tamarod (, "rebellion") was an Egyptian movement funded by the General Intelligence Service (Mukhabarat) and UAE to overthrow the 1st democratically elected Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi. The nominal aim was to register opposition to and fo ...

called on its supporters on 16 August to form neighbourhood watch groups to guard against Morsi supporters while Morsi supporters vowed to keep up their campaign to get the deposed president reinstated. The next day, hundreds of Morsi supporters barricaded themselves at the Fateh Mosque in Cairo. A day later, security forces dispersed the demonstrators. The Muslim Brotherhood reiterated its call to hold continued protests and called for a "Day of Rage" after Friday prayers on 16 August with Muslim Brotherhood spokesman Gehad el-Haddad writing on ''Twitter'': "Anti-coup rallies tomorrow will depart from all mosques of Cairo and head towards Ramsis square after Jumaa prayer in 'Friday of Anger'." The party also released a statement that read: "Despite the pain and sorrow over the loss of our martyrs, the latest coup makers' crime has increased our determination to end them." By 20 August, the leader of the Muslim Brotherhood,

Mohammed Badie Mohammed Badie ( ', ; born 7 August 1943) is the eighth Supreme Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood. He has been heading the Egyptian branch of the international Muslim Brotherhood organization since 2010. Before becoming the general guide, Badie ...

, who had been in hiding, was arrested after being found in a residential flat in Nasr City. Pro-Morsi supporters continued to rally and by 30 August, six more protesters had died.

State of emergency and curfew

The interim government declared a month-long state of emergency, commencing at 16:00. The right to a trial and the due process of the law were suspended. A 19:00 curfew was declared in 14 out of the 27 governorates (

Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...

Suez Suez (, , , ) is a Port#Seaport, seaport city with a population of about 800,000 in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez on the Red Sea, near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal. It is the capital and largest c ...

Qena Qena ( ' , locally: ) is a city in Upper Egypt, and the capital of the Qena Governorate. Situated on the east bank of the Nile, it was known in antiquity as Kaine (Greek Καινή, meaning "new (city)"; Latinized transliteration: Caene) and ...

Ismailia Ismailia ( ', ) is a city in north-eastern Egypt. Situated on the west bank of the Suez Canal, it is the capital of the Ismailia Governorate. The city had an estimated population of about 1,434,741 according to the statistics issued by the Cen ...

Asyut AsyutAlso spelled ''Assiout'' or ''Assiut''. ( ' ) is the capital of the modern Asyut Governorate in Egypt. It was built close to the ancient city of the same name, which is situated nearby. The modern city is located at , while the ancient city i ...

Sohag Sohag (, , ), also spelled as Suhag or Suhaj, is a city on the west bank of the Nile in Egypt. It has been the capital of Sohag Governorate since 1960, before which the capital was Girga and the name of the governorate was Girga Governorate. I ...

Beni Suef Beni Suef ( the capital city of the Beni Suef Governorate in Egypt. The city is the location of Beni Suef University. An important agricultural trade centre on the west bank of the Nile River, the city is located 110 km (70 miles) south of ...

, Minya,

Beheira Beheira ( ', , "the governorate of the Lake") is a coastal governorate in northern Egypt. Located in the northern part of the country in the Nile Delta, its capital is Damanhur. Overview Beheira Governorate enjoys an important strategical place ...

South Sinai South Sinai ( ') is the least populated governorate of Egypt. It is located in the east of the country, encompassing the southern half of the Sinai Peninsula. Saint Catherine's Monastery, an Eastern Orthodox Church monastery and UNESCO World Her ...

, North Sinai and

Faiyum Faiyum ( ; , ) is a city in Middle Egypt. Located southwest of Cairo, in the Faiyum Oasis, it is the capital of the modern Faiyum Governorate. It is one of Egypt's oldest cities due to its strategic location. Name and etymology Originally f ...

). The army promised to enforce the curfew with the "utmost firmness." The curfew was to be enforced from 19:00–06:00 for a month, along with the state of emergency. The following day, Egypt's interim cabinet lifted the curfew in the cities of

Sharm el-Sheikh Sharm El Sheikh (, , literally "bay of the Sheikh"), alternatively rendered Sharm el-Sheikh, Sharm el Sheikh, or Sharm El-Sheikh, is an Egyptian city on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, in South Sinai Governorate, on the coastal strip alo ...

, Taba and

Dahab Dahab (, , "gold") is a small town on the southeast coast of the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt, approximately northeast of Sharm el-Sheikh. Dahab can be divided into three major parts. Masbat, which includes the Bedouin village of Asalah, in the nor ...

in South Sinai to protect tourism. Within a week, the curfew started to hurt the Cairo economy. On 24 August, the interim cabinet decided to shorten the curfew by two hours to 21:00–06:00 excluding Fridays. On 31 August, the curfew was again shortened by another two hours to 23:00–06:00 excluding Fridays where the curfew remained from 19:00–06:00. On 12 September, Egypt's interim government decided to extend the state of emergency for 2 more months, until 14 November, along with the curfew which remained unchanged. Starting 21 September, the curfew was again shortened by two hours to 00:00–05:00 excluding Fridays where the curfew was shortened by only one hour to 19:00–05:00. On 24 October, the curfew was again shortened by one hour to 01:00–05:00 excluding Fridays where the curfew remained from 19:00–05:00. The state of emergency and curfew was lifted at 16:00 on 12 November, two days earlier than expected, following a ruling by the administrative court.

Casualties

On 14 August, the

Egyptian Health Ministry The Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) has its headquarters in Cairo. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, the current Health Minister, was appointed in October 2021. Ministers * Hatem El-Gabaly (31 December 2005 – 31 January 2011) * Ahmed Sameh Farid ...

said that at least 600 protesters died and more than 2,000 injured. An additional 43 police officers were killed in the violence, according to the

. It was later declared by the Forensic Medical Authority that only 8 police officers were killed. The Muslim Brotherhood estimated the death toll at 2,000. Many of the dead appeared to be young adults. On 15 August, the Egyptian Health Ministry raised the death toll to 638 and the number of the injured to 3,994. It is unclear whether the dozen or so charred corpses and those who remained unidentified were included in the official death toll or not. The Muslim Brotherhood and NCSL put the number of deaths from the Rabaa sit-in at the much higher figure of 2,600 protesters. On 5 March 2014, Egypt's National Council for Human Rights stated at least 624 civilians and 8 police officers were killed. On 12 August 2014,

stated in a report based on a year-long investigation that during the 14 August dispersal of the Rabaa al-Adawiya sit-in, security forces envisioned several thousand deaths. It estimated that a minimum of 817 people were killed. Kenneth Roth, the executive director of Human Rights Watch, said that "in Rab'a '' ic' Square, Egyptian security forces carried out one of the world's largest killings of demonstrators in a single day in recent history" and that "this wasn't merely a case of excessive force or poor training. It was a violent crackdown planned at the highest levels of the Egyptian government". Many deaths were reported in Giza. Workers of al-Iman Mosque stated that the ministry "won't acknowledge" in their official death toll tally over 200 charred bodies that had been moved to the mosque from a protest camp nearby. At al-Iman Mosque in Nasr City the next day, hundreds of bodies were still on the floor of a makeshift morgue and wrapped in shrouds and kept cool with blocks of ice, some bodies also bore gunshot wounds and many were charred beyond recognition. Among the dead was the daughter of Mohamed el-Beltagy, a prominent Muslim Brotherhood member.

Attack on journalists

During the dispersal, journalists covering the event were trapped. Four of them were killed, while others were injured. Some were detained. According to the

Committee to Protect Journalists The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in New York City, with correspondents around the world. CPJ promotes press freedom and defends the rights of journalists. The '' American Journalism ...

, it was the deadliest day for journalists in Egypt since the organization began keeping records in 1992. Veteran

Sky News Sky News is a British free-to-air television news channel, live stream news network and news organisation. Sky News is distributed via an English-language radio news service, and through online channels. It is owned by Sky Group, a division of ...

camera operator Michael "Mick" Deane, 61, was killed. Deane was an experienced journalist who had previously worked for CNN before working for Sky News for 15 years. Photos of Deane's body showed that he was wearing a helmet that clearly identified him as a journalist. The CPJ said Deane was the 1000th journalist it had confirmed killed worldwide. Egyptian journalist Habiba Ahmed Abd Elaziz, 26, who worked for Gulf News publication '' XPRESS newspaper,'' was also shot and killed. Egyptian reporter Ahmed Abdel Gawad, who was with the '' Al-Akhbar'' state-run newspaper and was an editorial manager for the Muslim Brotherhood television satellite channel Misr 25, was shot in the back and killed. Rassd News Network (RNN) photojournalist Mosab El-Shami was also killed. Among the journalists most seriously injured were ''Al-Watan'' editor Tariq Abbas, who was shot in the face, and ''

Al-Masry Al-Youm ''Al-Masry Al-Youm'' ( ', , meaning ''The Egyptian Today'') is an Egyptian privately owned daily newspaper that was first published in June 2004. It is published in Arabic as is its website, ''almasryalyoum.com''. An English version of the webs ...

'' photojournalist Alaa al-Qamhawy, who was shot in the foot. Among the detained journalists were

Al-Jazeera Al Jazeera Media Network (AJMN; , ) is a private-media conglomerate headquartered in Wadi Al Sail, Doha, funded in part by the government of Qatar. The network's flagship channels include Al Jazeera Arabic and Al Jazeera English, which pr ...

journalist Abdullah al-Shami and Al Jazeera Media Network's '' Mubasher Misr'' photographers Emad Eddin Al-Sayed and Abdulrahman Al-Mowahhed-Bellah, and

Freedom and Justice Party (Egypt) The Freedom and Justice Party (FJP; ) is an Egyptian Islamist political party. The ex-president of the party, Mohamed Morsi, won the 2012 presidential election, and in the 2011 parliamentary election it won more seats than any other party. It ...

(Al-Hurrya wa Al-Adala) / Misr 25 journalist Radwa Al-Selawi. Previously during the 2013 political violence in Egypt, photojournalist Ahmed Assem el-Senousy was killed on 8 July 2013 as a result of sniper fire, while covering a protest. In total, five journalists were killed since political violence erupted after July 2013. Egypt's State Information Service released a statement on 17 August critical of news coverage from foreign journalists: "Media coverage has steered away from objectivity and neutrality which has led to a distorted image that is very far from the facts. It stated that Egypt was feeling severe bitterness towards some western media coverage that is biased to the Muslim Brotherhood and ignores shedding light on violent and terror acts that are perpetrated by this group." The United Nations said about the sit-in dispersal that there had been "serious violations of human rights", including the killing of journalists. UNESCO's Director-General

Irina Bokova Irina Georgieva Bokova (; born 12 July 1952) is a Bulgarian politician and a former Director-General of UNESCO (2009–2017). During her political and diplomatic career in Bulgaria, she served, among others, two terms as a member of the Nation ...

condemned the killing of journalist el-Senousy in July. The

International Press Institute International Press Institute (IPI) is a global organisation dedicated to the promotion and protection of press freedom and the improvement of journalism practices. The institution was founded by 34 editors from 15 countries at Columbia Universit ...

demanded that Egypt be held responsible for violations of journalists' rights and the Egyptian military's targeting of the press corps.

NCHR investigation

The Egyptian

National Council for Human Rights The National Council for Human Rights (NCHR; ) is an Egyptian human rights organization established in 2003 with a mission of promoting and maintaining human rights in Egypt. The NCHR publishes annual reports concerning the current status of huma ...

's investigation blamed both the police and protestors for the incident. The investigation blamed the police for using excessive force, and the protestors for being armed. The NCHR blamed security forces for using excessive gunfire and failing to protect peaceful protestors during the crackdown on the sit-in. According to the report, gunmen inside the sit-in shot at police officers, provoking a violent response from police and an escalation in violence.

Reactions

Domestic

Mostafa Hegazy, a spokesperson for Egypt's interim government, said: "We're not into the effort of dissolving anyone – or preventing anyone from being active in the public domain, but we're trying to make sure that everyone is legalised according to what the Egyptian law says..." He added that the country was facing a war waged by "terrorist forces". Interim Vice President

Mohamed ElBaradei Mohamed Mostafa ElBaradei (, ; born 17 June 1942) is an Egyptian law scholar and diplomat who served as the vice president of Egypt on an interim basis from 14 July 2013 until his resignation on 14 August 2013. He was the Director General of ...

resigned in protest at the crackdown saying his conscience was troubled over the loss of life "particularly as I believe it could have been avoided. It has become too difficult to continue bearing responsibility for decisions I do not agree with and whose consequences I fear." He added that the "state of polarisation and grave division... the social fabric is threatened as violence breeds violence." He was then charged by a Cairo court with "breaching national trust;" the charge of treason could carry a £E25,910 (US$1,430) fine if convicted. It followed a complaint that his resignation gives the

international community The international community is a term used in geopolitics and international relations to refer to a broad group of people and governments of the world. Usage Aside from its use as a general descriptor, the term is typically used to imply the ...

a false impression of lack of unity which "contradicted reality." However, after his resignation he left the country for

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

. Interim Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi defended the state's reactions and praised the security forces saying that "we found that matters had reached a point that no self respecting state could accept...the spread of anarchy and attacks on hospitals and police stations." He also recommended the dissolution of the Muslim Brotherhood. He further noted that Egypt was headed in the "right direction" and that he did "not fear civil war." In reaction to consideration of cutting aid funds from the U.S. and the EU, he defiantly said that it would be "a bad sign" in cutting of aid, but that while that would "badly affect the military for some time," Egypt would survive as "let's not forget that Egypt went with the Russian military for support and we survived. So, there is no end to life. You can live with different circumstances." It also follows Saudi Arabia's promise to fill in the aid vacuum. On 17 August, presidential advisor Mostafa Hegazy said: "We are facing a war launched by extremist forces escalating every day to a terrorist war. Forces of extremism intend to cripple our journey towards pure bright future, aiming and willing to bring the whole state into total failure." Foreign Minister

Nabil Fahmy Nabil Fahmi (born 5 January 1951) is an Egyptian diplomat and politician who served in the government of Egypt as minister of foreign affairs from June 2013 to July 2014. Early life and education Nabil Fahmi was born in New York on 5 January 195 ...

condemned suggestion of cutting aid to Egypt and added that the government would not abandon its efforts to restore order ""We keep hearing if Egypt doesn't do this or doesn't do that, then aid will be stopped here or will be stopped there. If one side is revising aid they are giving, we are revising aid we receive as well." He also said in light of international criticism of the move: "The attempts to internationalize the discussions about this event is something that Egypt rejects. I ask the foreign ministry to review the foreign aid of the past and to see if those aids are used in an optimal way." In the wake of continued protests and violence, army chief

said that he would no longer restrain his forces from confronting "attackers who want to destroy Egypt." He added:

Our self-restraint will not continue. We will not accept any more attacks. We will meet with full force the attackers who want to destroy Egypt. Whoever imagines that violence will make the state and Egyptians kneel must reconsider; we will never be silent in the face of the destruction of the country. here isroom for everyone nd the security services would notconspire o take power The will of the Egyptian people is free, their will is free, they can choose whomever they want to rule them, and we are the guardians of this will. The army and the police right now are the guardians of the will of the people with regard to choosing who their leaders will be. I said previously that Egyptians if they want to change the world, they are capable of that, and I tell the Egyptian people now that if you want to build Egypt and its future, you will and you can, and you can make it 'Egypt the mother of all nations' Egypt will be as big as the world itself, with God's will.

Egyptian state television stated that the protest camps had been cleared "in a highly civilised way," while the interim government released a statement praising the "brave" security forces and blaming armed protesters present in the sit-in for the loss of life. The government also called the raids necessary and said police had confiscated guns and other weapons from the camps. The government renewed its promise to pursue an army-backed political transition plan in "a way that strives not to exclude any party". Egyptian Ambassador to the UK Ashraf el-Kholy defended the dispersal and blamed the Muslim Brotherhood for causing the difficulties, saying: "Of course they did nothing but return fire. If you have somebody firing at you then you have to respond." Party spokesman Mona al-Qazzaz said:

This is not a government, this is not a regime, it is a mafia...They failed at every single democratic process, and they came on the back of the tanks as leaders...This is an illegitimate mafia that has hijacked the power of Egypt...They would have to pay the price of their crimes against humanity. They are the illegal people, we have won at every single democratic process and they have lost, and the only way for them to be back in the political arena is through the power of the bullets and tanks.

Grand

Imam Imam (; , '; : , ') is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Islam, Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a prayer leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Salah, Islamic prayers, serve as community leaders, ...

Ahmed el-Tayeb Ahmed Mohamed Ahmed El-Tayeb (; born 6 January 1946) is an Egyptian Islamic scholar and the current Grand Imam of al-Azhar, al-Azhar al-Sharif and former president of al-Azhar University. He was appointed by the Egyptian President, Hosni Muba ...

called for "restraint", saying Al-Azhar is committed to seeking a political solution to the situation. He also urged all political factions to respond to the national reconciliation efforts and said that he had no prior knowledge of the crackdown efforts. The Coptic Church condemned the attacks on its churches and called on the army to restore order. El-Tayeb and el-Baradei were among other advocated of the ouster of Morsi who later were seen to express at least a modicum of sympathy for the protesters due to the heavy-handed nature of the dispersal. The

al-Nour Party The al‑Nour Party (), or "Party of The Light", was one of the political parties created in Egypt after the 2011 Egyptian Revolution. It has an ultra-conservative, Islamist ideology, which believes in implementing strict Sharia law. It has be ...

called on protestors to exhibit restraint, but said the dispersals would further complicate the political process. The

April 6 Youth Movement The April 6 Youth Movement () is an Egyptian activist group established in Spring 2008 to support the workers in El-Mahalla El-Kubra, an industrial town, who were planning to strike on 6 April. Activists called on participants to wear black an ...

blamed "the army, interior ministry and the Muslim Brotherhood" for the violence. There were also reactions on

social media Social media are interactive technologies that facilitate the Content creation, creation, information exchange, sharing and news aggregator, aggregation of Content (media), content (such as ideas, interests, and other forms of expression) amongs ...

. The

New Wafd Party The New Wafd Party (), officially the Egyptian Wafd Party and also known as the Al-Wafd Party, is a nationalist liberal party in Egypt. It is the extension of one of the oldest and historically most active political parties in Egypt, Wafd Part ...

said it was the government's duty to disperse the sit-ins since the mandate to fight violence and terrorism on 26 July. It added that while the right of peaceful protest and freedom of expression is guaranteed, the protesters at both squares were not peaceful protesters and were hiding weapons; it further accused the Muslim Brotherhood of being responsible for the unrest in the country with its allegedly inciting speeches, defiance of the state and disrespect of the will of what they suggested was a majority of the people and of the army that deepened the polarisation. Former presidential candidate

Amr Moussa Amr Moussa (, , Amr Muhammad Moussa; born 3 October 1936) is an Egyptian politician and diplomat who was the Secretary General of the Arab League, Secretary-General of the Arab League, a 22-member forum representing Arab World, Arab states, from ...

said that "the whole Egyptian society should stand against any attempt to raise strife on the current incidents." The founder of the

Free Egyptians Party The Free Egyptians Party ( ) is an Egyptian liberal party, founded after the 2011 Egyptian revolution. It supports the principles of a liberal, democratic, and secular political order in Egypt. The Free Egyptians Party was the largest party i ...

Naguib Sawiris Naguib Onsi Sawiris ( ; ; born 15 June 1954) is an Egyptian businessman. Sawiris is chairman of Weather Investments's parent company, and the former chairman and CEO of Orascom Telecom Holding and Orascom Investment Holding S.A.E. Early li ...

said: "Decision to disperse MB sit-ins was crucial" and that no one accepts sit-ins that block the roads and hinder economic development.

Popular Current The Egyptian Popular Current ( ') is a movement in Egypt, created after the 2012 presidential elections by former presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabahi. The movement was formed on 21 September 2012. The movement formed the Popular Current Party ...

leader and former presidential candidate

Hamdeen Sabahi Hamdeen Sabahi (, ; born 5 July 1954) is an Egyptian politician and journalist. He is a former presidential candidate and currently the leader of the Egyptian Popular Current and a co-leader of the National Salvation Front. An opposition act ...

said: "We support people, army, police against terrorism" and wrote on Twitter, "We will support our people, army and police against the terrorism of those who monopolized the people's will." Former presidential candidate Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh added that was in touch with senior state officials and had asked them to take the necessary decision to stop the bloodshed immediately as it could drag the country into a wave of violence and chaos. The Dawaa Salafya called on the cabinet to resign and issued a statement that condemned the violent clashes and warned against dragging the country into mobilisation of both sides, which would negatively affect social cohesion. The foreign ministry also formed a working group of senior officials to follow up on foreign reactions to the crisis and would supply Egyptian embassies with the requisite details and follow up on foreign media coverage of the events, according to the interior ministry. The Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies condemned the apparent use of excessive force and lethal violence by Egyptian security forces when dispersing the sit-in of protestors at Rabaa al-Adawiya and Nahda squares. In a statement, the institute said "The action left hundreds dead and thousands seriously injured, as well as dozens of bodies torched in still unexplained circumstances. We believe the security apparatus could have avoided this human tragedy if it had complied with international rules and standards for the dispersal of assemblies. Moreover, in the past weeks, the security authorities have failed to do their duty to take the necessary legal measures to protect public security and citizens, particularly residents and passersby in the aforementioned two areas" In October 2013, Egyptian Kung-Fu gold medalist Mohamed Youssef was recalled from Russia and given a one-year suspension from all national and international competitions for wearing a T-shirt containing the Rabia sign. In November 2013, Al-Ahly's

Ahmed Abd El-Zaher Ahmed Abd El-Zaher (; born 15 January 1985) is an Egyptian former professional footballer who played as a forward. He was part of the Egypt U20 national team which participated in the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship. Club career Abd El-Zah ...

was deprived of his Champions League win bonus, suspended and put up for sale in the January

transfer Transfer may refer to: Arts and media * ''Transfer'' (2010 film), a German science-fiction movie directed by Damir Lukacevic and starring Zana Marjanović * ''Transfer'' (1966 film), a short film * ''Transfer'' (journal), in management studies * ...

window A window is an opening in a wall, door, roof, or vehicle that allows the exchange of light and may also allow the passage of sound and sometimes air. Modern windows are usually glazed or covered in some other transparent or translucent ma ...

for a gesture in support of Morsi. On 5 December 2013, the

Egyptian Football Association The Egyptian Football Association () is the governing body of association football in Egypt. A member of FIFA since 1923 and a founding member of the CAF, the EFA has jurisdiction over the Egyptian football league system and is responsible for ...

took sanctions a step further, announcing that Abd El-Zaher has been banned from representing Egypt for one year in addition to a 3-month local ban.

International

;Rights groups On 10 December, thirteen Egyptian and international human rights organizations urged Cairo's interim authorities to probe the violence during the sit-in dispersal in the capital on 14 August. The joint call issued by organizations that included Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, said an investigation must be launched into the killing of "up to 1,000 people by security forces" almost four months ago when they dispersed sit-ins by supporters of deposed president Mohamed Morsi. "There can be no hope for the rule of law and political stability in Egypt, much less some modicum of justice for victims, without accountability for what may be the single biggest incident of mass killing in Egypt's recent history," said Gasser Abdel-Razak, associate director at the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights. "As a first step toward accountability, the government should establish an effective independent fact-finding committee to investigate responsibility throughout the chain of command for the unlawful killings," the rights groups said. They said that on 14 August a "small minority of protesters used firearms... but the police responded excessively by shooting recklessly, going far beyond what is permitted under international law." "After the unprecedented levels of violence and casualties seen since the ousting of Mohamed Morsi, investigations must provide real answers and cannot be another whitewash of the security forces' record," Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui of Amnesty International said in the statement. "Egypt's authorities cannot deal with the carnage through PR in world's capitals, rewriting events and locking up Morsi's supporters." The groups also said the probe should determine whether there is any evidence of a policy to kill protesters or commit other serious crimes. ;Supranational bodies *

African Union The African Union (AU) is a continental union of 55 member states located on the continent of Africa. The AU was announced in the Sirte Declaration in Sirte, Libya, on 9 September 1999, calling for the establishment of the African Union. The b ...

– The AU was to send a panel consisting of former Malian president Alpha Oumar Konare, former Botswana President

Festus Mogae Festus Gontebanye Mogae (born 21 August 1939) is a Motswana politician and economist who served as the third President of Botswana from 1998 to 2008. He succeeded Quett Masire as President in 1998 and was re-elected in October 2004. After ten ...

and former Djibouti Prime Minister

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week. The Peace and Security Council has urged that preparations be expedited for the panel to go back to Egypt. Further polariSation of the situation in Egypt or escalation of violence will have far-reaching implications both for Egypt, the region and the African continent as a whole. And this is why the AU is making sustained efforts to contribute to the ongoing efforts, based of course, on the ownership by the Egyptian stakeholders themselves." * – European Commission President

Jose Barroso Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph. Given name Mishnaic and Talmudic periods * Jose ben Abin * Jose ben Akabya *Jose the Galilean * Jose ben Halafta ...

and European Council President

Herman van Rompuy Herman Achille, Count Van Rompuy (; born 31 October 1947) is a Belgian politician who served as Prime Minister of Belgium from 2008 to 2009, and later as the first permanent President of the European Council from 2009 to 2014. Van Rompuy, a ...

said in a joint statement: "Together with its member states, the EU will urgently review in the coming days its relations with Egypt and adopt measures aimed at pursuing he goals of promoting anend to violence, resumption of political dialogue and return to a democratic process. Further escalation must be prevented. It could have unpredictable consequences for Egypt and for its broader neighbourhood." Just before EU foreign ministers were scheduled to meet, they also warned Egypt's army and interim government that it was ready to "review" ties failing an end to violence and return to dialogue. They two issued statements that read further escalation could have "unpredictable consequences" for Egypt and the region. "The calls for democracy and fundamental freedoms from the Egyptian population cannot be disregarded, much less washed away in blood. In co-operation with its international and regional partners, the EU will remain firmly engaged in efforts to promote an end to violence, resumption of political dialogue and return to a democratic process. To this effect, together with its member states, the EU will urgently review in the coming days its relations with Egypt and adopt measures aimed at pursuing these goals." High Representative for Foreign Policy

Catherine Ashton Catherine Margaret Ashton, Baroness Ashton of Upholland (born 20 March 1956) is a Labour Party (UK), British Labour politician who served as the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of th ...

released a statement that read: "Confrontation and violence is not the way forward to resolve key political issues. I deplore the loss of lives, injuries and destruction in Cairo and other places in Egypt. I call on the security forces to exercise utmost restraint and on all Egyptian citizens to avoid further provocations and escalation." Her spokesman, Michael Mann, said that "the reports of deaths and injuries are extremely worrying. We reiterate that violence won't lead to any solution and we urge the Egyptian authorities to proceed with utmost restraint." Envoy

Bernardino León Bernardino León Gross (born in Málaga, 20 October 1964) is a Spanish diplomat and politician and former United Nations Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya. Prior to this appointment by United Nations ...

said: "No options are being ruled out today. We are discussing responses to the current discussion in a very open-minded way." Foreign Ministers of the bloc were expected to meet on 21 August to discuss how to get the Egyptian junta to resort to find a peaceful compromise to the impasse. He suggested option that could include cutbacks in Europe's 5 billion euro package of grants and loans promised last year, as well as a possible arms embargo The European Union restricted exports of security equipment and arms to Egypt, while Ashton said that aid would remain in place to the most "vulnerable" groups and to civil society. She also said that the member states were reassessing their export licenses. * – Secretary-General

Ban Ki-moon Ban Ki-moon (born 13 June 1944) is a South Korean politician and diplomat who served as the eighth secretary-general of the United Nations between 2007 and 2016. Prior to his appointment as secretary-general, Ban was the South Korean minister ...

's spokesman Martin Nesirky said: "In the aftermath of today's violence, the secretary-general urges all Egyptians to concentrate their efforts on promoting genuinely inclusive reconciliation. hile the United Nations was still gathering information,it appears that hundreds of people were killed or wounded in clashes between security forces and demonstrators." He added that "the secretary-general is alarmed by ongoing developments in Egypt and the widespread outbreak of violent protests and excessive use of force in handling them," and that attacks against churches, hospitals and other public facilities were condemned "which he finds unacceptable." :The U.K., with France and Australia, called for an emergency closed-door meeting of the UN Security Council. :The

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is a department of the United Nations Secretariat that works to promote and protect human rights that are guaranteed under international law and stipulated in the Univers ...

leader

Navi Pillay Navanethem "Navi" Pillay (born 23 September 1941) is a South African jurist who served as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2008 to 2014. A South African of Indian Tamil origin, Pillay was the first non-white woman judg ...

demanded an "independent, impartial and credible" probe into the dispersals and said that anyone found guilty of wrongdoing should be held to account. Spokeswoman Liz Throssell followed up the comments in saying that the office sought to human rights observers to Egypt after government approval. "We're calling to have human-rights officers allowed on the ground in Egypt so they can gather information, they can talk to NGOs, national human-rights institutions, draw up reports." ;States * – An unnamed government agency condemned the "killing of civilian protesters" and expressed hope that "our brothers and sisters in Egypt to find a peaceful political solution soon." **The

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condemned the violence and called for the restoration of Morsi as president. It issued a statement signed by the

Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

that called on international organisations to take practical steps to stop the violence and "not be satisfied with only condemning this barbaric incident." * – An unknown government agency in the country that held the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council at the time of the incident condemned it. A statement read: "The brutal repression against popular protests that won the streets of the main cities of Egypt... he authorities shouldtotally and immediately cease the spiral of violence loosed in recent days against unarmed citizens." * – Facing its own

uprising Rebellion is an uprising that resists and is organized against one's government. A rebel is a person who engages in a rebellion. A rebel group is a consciously coordinated group that seeks to gain political control over an entire state or a ...

, an unnamed government agency called the dispersals necessary to "restore security, stability and public order." The state-owned

Bahrain News Agency The Bahrain News Agency (BNA) is the state news agency of Bahrain. History and profile The BNA was established in 1976 with the name of the Gulf News Agency. In 2001 it was renamed as the Bahrain News Agency. The agency is run under the Minist ...

added that Bahraini authorities urged dialogue and reconciliation. * – The

Itamaraty The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRE; ; literally: ''Ministry of External Relations'') conducts Brazil's foreign relations with other countries. It is commonly referred to in Brazilian media and diplomatic jargon as Itamaraty, after the Itamarat ...

issued a press release condemning the alleged repressive brutality shown by Egyptian authorities. The ministry further stated that "Brazil associates itself with the statements made by the Secretary-General of the United Nations in the sense that violence and incitement are not answers to the challenges Egypt faces." It also "calls for dialogue and conciliation," while saying that the dispersal is a "serious degradation of the security situation in a key country for the stability in the region." * – Foreign Minister

Kristian Vigenin Kristian Ivanov Vigenin (; born 12 June 1975) is a Bulgarian politician, Vice-President of the National Assembly of Bulgaria, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria, and a former Member of the European Parliament. He became minister on M ...

condemned the "excessive use of force, leading to casualties on both sides". He said that violence "cannot solve the political and social problems accumulated throughout the years". * – Foreign Minister John Baird issued a statement calling for calm and said that he was deeply concerned by the situation, while calling on Egypt to implement reforms to ease tensions. He also said that Canada's stance is that Egypt should have a transparent democratic system and encourages and respects civil society and all the segments of Egyptian society. "We urge both parties to avoid violence, and engage in a meaningful political dialogue for the good of all Egyptians. All Egyptians should show restraint and resolve in the coming days." * – The Chancellery issued a press release that read, "the Government of the Republic of Colombia deplores the loss of human life and expresses solidarity with the families of the victims of the violent acts that occurred, in the Arab Republic of Egypt, in the past few days." It also "calls for all political actors and the Egyptian society to build a political dialog for the benefit of stability and prosperity of the country and the region" and "orders a cease to the violent acts committed by the public force that deters the safety of citizens and foreigners in Egypt." It added that it was ready to assist its citizens in Egypt through the embassy in Cairo and would seek to move its citizens from Egypt to Istanbul. * – An unnamed government agency said that it has suspended 30 million kroner worth of aid, which was channelled via agencies like the World Bank and the International Labour Organization. * – Foreign Minister

Laurent Fabius Laurent Fabius (; born 20 August 1946) is a French politician. A member of the Socialist Party (France), Socialist Party, he previously served as Prime Minister of France from 17 July 1984 to 20 March 1986. Fabius was 37 years old when he was a ...

said that all options would be considered at an EU foreign ministers' meeting, including a possible suspension of aid. He also said that France had increased its alert level for Egypt on 16 August which would be "formally discouraging" French people from traveling to the country. He also encouraged French people already in Egypt to avoid big cities as Egypt was "in chaos." The foreign ministry released a statement that offered condolences to the families of the violence and read it was "strongly deploring the violence which took place in Cairo during the evacuation operations.

t is T, or t, is the twentieth letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''tee'' (pronounced ), plural ''tees''. It is d ...

"essential this violence ceases, and that a logic of appeasement prevails. France calls on all parties to exercise the utmost restraint and warns against disproportionate use of force." * – Foreign Minister

Guido Westerwelle Guido Westerwelle (; 27 December 1961 – 18 March 2016) was a German politician who served as foreign minister in the second cabinet of Chancellor Angela Merkel and Vice-Chancellor of Germany from 2009 to 2011, being the first openly gay perso ...

said: "We call on all political forces to return immediately to negotiations and avert an escalation of violence. All further bloodshed must be prevented." The government also announced the suspension of 25 million euros in aid that was earmarked for climate and environmental protection projects. Further, the foreign ministry urged its citizens to refrain from travelling to Egypt, as well as extending a previous warning to include Red Sea beach resorts around

Hurghada Hurghada (; ', ) is a coastal city that serves as the largest city and capital of the Red Sea Governorate of Egypt. Hurghada has grown from a small fishing village to one of the largest resort destinations along the Red Sea coast, stretching c ...

and Sharm El-Sheik. Those Germans who were already at the resorts were advised to be vigilant and stay in close touch with hotel management and travel agents. Travel agency TUI cancelled all bookings to Egypt until 15 September. * –

Pope Francis Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 13 March 2013 until Death and funeral of Pope Francis, his death in 2025. He was the fi ...

called for prayers for "peace, dialogue and reconciliation for that dear land." * – President

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (born 9 September 1949), commonly referred to as SBY, is an Indonesian politician and retired Indonesian Army, army general who served as the sixth president of Indonesia from 2004 to 2014 and the second president of Ind ...

said that the apparent excessive force used by the security forces was against democratic values and humanity. He called on all parties to "build compromise and seek a win-win solution." * – The foreign ministry released a statement that called the events a "massacre" and that "while denouncing the violent clashes and condemning the killing of people, expresses its deep concern regarding the horrible consequences. Undoubtedly the current approach to developments in Egypt strengthens the likelihood of civil war in this great Islamic country." * –

Tánaiste The Tánaiste ( , ) is the second-ranking member of the government of Ireland and the holder of its second-most senior office. It is the equivalent of the deputy prime minister in other parliamentary systems. The Tánaiste is appointed by the P ...

Eamon Gilmore Eamon Gilmore (born 24 April 1955) is an Irish diplomat and former Labour Party politician. He has served as European Union Special Representative for Human Rights since February 2019. He has also been the European Union Special Envoy for th ...

wrote on

Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...

: "I deplore the loss of life in #Egypt, appeal for the authorities to show restraint and for all involved to refrain from violence." * – Foreign Minister

Emma Bonino Emma Bonino (born 9 March 1948) is an Italian politician. She was a senator for Rome between 2008 and 2013, and again between 2018 and 2022. She also served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2013 to 2014. Previously, she was a Member of the Eu ...

said: "I am deeply pained at what is going on in Egypt, and at the loss of human life there. I was hoping that the squares where the sit-ins took place would empty out once the parties had reached an agreement, and not through the intervention of the police, which doesn't make it any easier to find a solution to the political crisis. I appeal to all the Egyptian forces to do everything in their power to halt the violence that has erupted there, and to avoid a blood bath. All forces of order must exert the maximum self-control, and everyone must likewise avoid any form of incitement to violence." * – Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh said: "Jordan stands by Egypt in its serious efforts to impose the

rule of law The essence of the rule of law is that all people and institutions within a Body politic, political body are subject to the same laws. This concept is sometimes stated simply as "no one is above the law" or "all are equal before the law". Acco ...

and restore security and stability". **The Muslim Brotherhood's political arm, the

Islamic Action Front The Islamic Action Front (IAF; ) is an Islamist political party in Jordan. It was the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan. Founded in 1992 with 350 members, Ahmed Azaida, Ishaq Al-Farhan and Abdul Latif Arabiyat were the main f ...

, called for renewed protests in support of Morsi and warned Egypt's military that it had fallen into a "conspiracy" hatched by the U.S. and Israel to weaken Muslims and that the military was a "tool for corrupt and tyrant military regimes." It also called on its local supporters to protest outside the Egyptian embassy in Amman. * – A member of the

General National Congress The General National Congress or General National Council (GNC; ) was the Legislature, legislative authority of Libya for two years following the end of the First Libyan Civil War. It was elected by popular vote on 7 July 2012, and took power f ...

' Foreign Affairs Committee, Amna Amtair, said that the committee would meet the next day to take important measures regarding the Egyptian situation, but were postponed from meeting on the day itself due to damage done by a renegade group of young Amazigh who broke into the GNC following a demonstration. The Muslim Brotherhood's political arm, the Justice and Development Party's congresswoman in Benghazi, Houda Abdulatif Al-Banani, said that the ouster of Morsi was a "coup against democratic legitimacy" and was "destabilising the effects of the

Arab Spring The Arab Spring () was a series of Nonviolent resistance, anti-government protests, Rebellion, uprisings, and Insurgency, armed rebellions that spread across much of the Arab world in the early 2010s. It began Tunisian revolution, in Tunisia ...

." An unknown government agency issued a statement that read: "Libya believes that what is happening in Egypt... is strictly an internal Egyptian affair in which the Libyan government will not interfere." It also supported measures at consensus building, safety and security in Egypt, while expressing "deep regret and pain for lost lives and bloodshed." **The Egyptian consulate in Benghazi was bombed three days later during protests against the sit-in dispersal. * – Foreign Minister

Espen Barth Eide Espen Barth Eide (born 1 May 1964) is a Norwegian politician and political scientist. He is currently serving as the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Jonas Gahr Støre's government, having previously done so under Jens Stoltenberg. He has been ...

condemned a disproportionate use of violence against protesters. He called for reconciliation which he said had to include the Muslim Brotherhood. It was also announced that export licenses for military equipment had "recently" been frozen. * – Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement that urged restraint from all sides and called for the Egyptian government to release political prisoners. "The government of Pakistan expresses its dismay and deep concern over the use of force by the Egyptian security forces against unarmed civilians." * – A

Hamas The Islamic Resistance Movement, abbreviated Hamas (the Arabic acronym from ), is a Palestinian nationalist Sunni Islam, Sunni Islamism, Islamist political organisation with a military wing, the Qassam Brigades. It has Gaza Strip under Hama ...

spokesman expressed disapproval for the "terrible massacre" and called on the military to use "peaceful political solutions" in solving the crisis. He said that Hamas "condemns the massacres...and calls for an end to bloodshed and a halt to the killing of peaceful protesters." * – After Foreign Secretary

Albert del Rosario Albert Ferreros del Rosario Sr. (November 14, 1939 – April 18, 2023) was a Filipino businessman, diplomat, and government official. He served as the secretary of foreign affairs of the Philippines from 2011 to 2016 under the Benigno Aquino ...

visited Egypt to ascertain the security situation, he ordered the deployment of a special team to help speed the repatriation of the 6,000 Filipinos in the country, who he also urged to contact their embassy. It also follows a voluntary call to leave that was upgraded to a mandatory evacuation. The Foreign Ministry issued a statement that read: "The marked deterioration of peace and order in Egypt, exacerbated by the ongoing political instability and grave security challenges in that country, make working and living there increasingly difficult and dangerous." Rosario also met with a teenaged Filipino-Egyptian girl who was wounded by a stray bullet during clashes in Helwan. * – The foreign ministry advised against travel to Egypt and that its citizens in the country should avoid big cities, bazaars, shopping malls and museums. However, it added that it considers Red Sea resorts safe. **Polish tourists returning from

said all tours were cancelled, except visits to Hurghada, and that armed guards were stationed at the town's airport. * – The foreign ministry issued a statement that read it "strongly condemns" the violence, called on Egyptian authorities to refrain from security "crackdowns" on demonstrators and said that the best conflict resolution mechanism was peaceful dialogue. State news agency, QNA, quoted an unnamed foreign ministry official as calling on the Egyptian authorities to "refrain from the security option in dealing with peaceful protests, and to preserve the lives of Egyptians at protest sites." * – The foreign ministry released a statement that read it "decried the human loss of life" and called for all sides to exercise restraint and relaunch the transition to democracy. On 15 August, the Ministry issued a travel warning to Romanian citizens en route to or in Egypt. * – The foreign ministry issued a statement that read forbearance by all sides in Egypt was of "the highest national interest" and that it was suspending the work of its Cairo consular section as a precaution for two days. Of the about 60,000 Russians in the country at the moment, according to the Russian Tourism Board, the foreign ministry had urged its citizens to refrain from traveling to Egypt and those in the country should avoid big cities and venues of rallies. * – King Abdullah issued a statement that read: "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, its people and government stood and stands by today with its brothers in Egypt against terrorism. I call on the honest men of Egypt and the Arab and Muslim nations ... to stand as one man and with one heart in the face of attempts to destabilise a country that is at the forefront of Arab and Muslim history." * – The foreign ministry advised against travel to Egypt and suspended charter flight to the country. * – A statement by an unnamed branch of government read that the government had "great concern" over the events and that it sent its condolences to the families of those killed. "At this critical moment, it is particularly important that the security forces and the protesters themselves exercise due restraint to avoid the irreversible consequences of violence. The Egyptian people have shown to the whole world their determination to live in peace and democracy. To achieve this aspiration the participation of all political and social forces is needed, without delay, in a national dialogue to make possible the return of institutional normality to Egypt." * – An unknown government agency denounced the violence, while the foreign ministry appealed to Egypt's government and political parties to negotiate a solution and avoid further violence. **The Sudanese Muslim Scholars Board, an affiliate of the

, issued a statement that read "a battle between right and wrong, between faith and deception, between bare chests and criminal bullets." It also said of the dispersal that it was a "Zionist-Christian plot" and that Islam is now "faced with a war that does not want to see Islam prevail or lead, even if it comes through the ballot boxes. gyptians shouldreject this injustice and to halt the horrible human slaughter." * – Foreign Minister

Carl Bildt Nils Daniel Carl Bildt (born 15 July 1949) is a Swedish politician and diplomat who served as Prime Minister of Sweden from 1991 to 1994. He led the Moderate Party from 1986 to 1999, appearing as its lead candidate in four general elections, b ...

wrote on ''Twitter'' that he was concerned about the events: "Obviously many dead. Reports of live ammunition. Risk of violence spreading. Churches attacked. I condemn the killings and the violence in Egypt now. Main responsibility with regime forces. Extremely hard to restore political process." * – The foreign ministry warned against all travel to Egypt as there was a risk that the violent clashes "will spread throughout the country." It also advised Swiss citizens in the country to keep informed, obey curfews and stay away from crowds or "events of all kinds." * – President

Moncef Marzouki Mohamed Moncef Marzouki (; ''Muhammad al-Munṣif al-Marzūqī'', born 7 July 1945) is a Tunisian politician who served as the third president of Tunisia from 2011 to 2014. Through his career he has been a human rights activist, physician and pol ...

and the Tunisian prime minister

Ali Laarayedh Ali Laarayedh (, '; born 15 August 1955) is a Tunisian politician who was Prime Minister of Tunisia from 2013 to 2014. Previously he served in the government as the Minister of the Interior from 2011 to 2013. Following the resignation of Prime ...

strongly condemns this coup, calling the military coup and called for the world, because in order to take a position of what is happening in Egypt and the president of

Ennahda The Ennahda Movement (; ), also known as the Renaissance Party or simply known as Ennahda, is a self-defined Islamic democratic political party in Tunisia. Founded as the Movement of Islamic Tendency in 1981, Ennahda was inspired by the Egypti ...

Rachid Ghannouchi Rached Ghannouchi (; born 22 June 1941), also spelled Rachid al-Ghannouchi or Rached el-Ghannouchi, is a Tunisian politician, the co-founder of the Ennahdha Party and serving as its intellectual leader. He was born Rashad Khriji (). Ghannou ...

called the dispersal an "abject crime" and said that he was in solidarity with the Morsi supporters' bid to "recover their freedom and oppose the coup d'etat." Following calls from Ennahda members of an alleged coup in Tunisia and a repeat of "the Egyptian scenario", party Vice President Walid Bennani later said: "There's no coup d'etat in Tunisia. There's an opposition party that wants to dissolve the government. The opposition also still wants to repeat the Egyptian scenario. That can't happen. There is no option or an alternative to rise topower. There's no resemblance between the two cases." On 16 August, the foreign ministry summoned the Egyptian ambassador to express its concern over the situation in Egypt and the use of force there. It also called for dialogue between all parties so as to prevent Egypt from "slipping into violence, division and chaos." * – President Abdullah Gul said: "An armed intervention against civilian people who stage protests is unacceptable, regardless of its justification." He also compared the incident to the first salvos of the Syrian civil war. Prime Minister

Recep Tayyip Erdogan Recep is a Turkish name deriving from the Arabic name Rajab. It may refer to: People Surname * Aziz Recep (born 1992), German-Greek footballer * Sibel Recep (born 1987), Swedish pop singer Given name * Recep Adanır (1929–2017), Turkish fo ...

's office issued a statement that read: "It is clear that the international community, by supporting the military coup and remaining silent over previous massacres instead of protecting democracy and constitutional legitimacy in Egypt, has encouraged the current administration to carry out today's intervention. The international community, especially the UN Security Council and the Arab League, must act immediately to stop this massacre." It also announced that Erdogan had spoken to UN Secretary General

and the permanent representatives of the UN Security Council in regards to the Egyptian issue. Egypt then withdrew its ambassador to Turkey for "consultations". * – An unnamed government agency issued a statement that read: "What is regretful is that political extremist groups have insisted on the rhetoric of violence, incitement, disruption of public interests and undermining of the Egyptian economy, which has led to the regretful events today." * – Foreign Secretary

William Hague William Jefferson Hague, Baron Hague of Richmond (born 26 March 1961) is a British politician and life peer who was Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from 1997 to 2001 and Deputy Leader from 2005 to 2010. He was th ...

issued a statement that read: "I am deeply concerned at the escalating violence and unrest in Egypt. I condemn the use of force in clearing protests and call on the security forces to act with restraint." It was also announced that the country had advised its citizens in the country not to partake in demonstrations and avoid large gatherings. He later said that aid to Egypt should be reviewed without precluding future assistance. "We have to stick to those principles ... of supporting institutions, not taking sides, of promoting dialogue and of keeping faith with the majority of people." * – President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

"strongly condemned" the dispersal of pro-Morsi sit-ins. He also said: "We sustain our commitment to Egypt and its people... but our traditional cooperation cannot continue as usual," while he also announced the cancellation of the Bright Star military exercises between the U.S. and other Arab states. Despite his condemnation, aid to Egypt remained in place. A spokesperson said the US$1.5billion of aid the United States gives to Egypt annually was under review.

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...

spokesman

Josh Earnest Joshua Ryan Henry Earnest
''

He added that the United States strongly opposed the state of emergency. Secretary of State

John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician, and diplomat who served as the 68th United States secretary of state from 2013 to 2017 in the Presidency of Barack Obama#Administration, administration of Barac ...

called the events "deplorable" and a "serious blow" to reconciliation efforts. On 15 August, President Obama canceled joint military training exercises with the Egyptian military. * – President

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condemned the violence two days later and announced his decision to recall the ambassador to Egypt and leave the commercial attache in charge of the embassy. He added that despite political differences with the Muslim Brotherhood, "we alerted very early on that the coup against president Morsi was unconstitutional and illegal. President Morsi is kidnapped and is the constitutional president of Egypt...The imperialist hands that are reaching into Egypt are responsible for the bloodbath." * – An unnamed government agency said on 22 August that it had deep concern over the escalation of violence and called on all related parties to exercise restraint. The

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also advised against travel to Egypt as tour operators began cancelling trips to the country and bringing back those already in the country. ;Outside protests Hundreds of people protested in favor of the Brotherhood and Morsi in

Kuwait Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in West Asia and the geopolitical region known as the Middle East. It is situated in the northern edge of the Arabian Peninsula at the head of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Kuwait ...

and chanted slogans against then-general

, while an unnamed cleric called on Kuwaitis to protest after Friday prayers outside of the U.S. embassy. Other protests were held in Tel Aviv and Gaza, as well as Turkey, Tunisia and Jordan. In Ankara, about 300 protesters gathered outside the Egyptian embassy, then went to the U.S. embassy and chanted anti-U.S. slogans and held up pictures of Morsi. In Vienna, about 500 demonstrators, most of them Egyptians, gathered in St. Stephens Square, chanting Morsi's name. Organiser Ali Ibrahim of the Egyptian Community in Austria said that the protest was not in support of Morsi but "for democracy and the protection of freedom." After Friday prayers, thousands of protesters gathered in several cities across Indonesia, calling for an end to any violence in Egypt. At a sit-in near the Egyptian embassy in Algiers, dozens of Egyptians, mostly students, protested against violence and denounced the events as "against the Egyptian people." ;Media ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' called the dispersal the "clearest sign yet that the old Egyptian police state was re-emerging" and added that its reporters saw no evidence of weapon stockpiles in the protest camps. Al Jazeera featured an article entitled "The Egyptian coup and the lessons of Turkey" with the sub-heading that military was backtracking on the democracy that Egyptians had fought for. International commentators asked if this could lead Egypt into a

civil war A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

or even make the country a

failed state A failed state is a state that has lost its ability to fulfill fundamental security and development functions, lacking effective control over its territory and borders. Common characteristics of a failed state include a government incapable of ...

. Al Jazeera suggested that the Egypt conflict divided the U.S. and its other "long-time" regional partners over their stance on the issue. Qatari-owned Al Jazeera also singled out Qatar as an exception to the Gulf Arab counties which were supportive of the ousting of Morsi. It also highlighted the Gulf Arab reversion for the Muslim Brotherhood as a potential destabiliser to its own regimes.

Bloomberg Bloomberg may refer to: People * Daniel J. Bloomberg (1905–1984), audio engineer * Georgina Bloomberg (born 1983), professional equestrian * Michael Bloomberg (born 1942), American businessman and founder of Bloomberg L.P.; politician a ...

suggested the U.S. was in bind as its regional allies were supporting different sides in Egypt. It also drew parallels for its foreign support for Syrian rebels amongst its allies, but supporting a different side in the Egyptian conflict. It quoted Brian Katulis, a foreign policy analyst at the

Center for American Progress The Center for American Progress (CAP) is a public policy think tank, research and advocacy organization which presents a Modern liberalism in the United States, liberal viewpoint on Economic policy, economic and social issues. CAP is headquarter ...

, who said: "What we're seeing in the Middle East is a competition for power and influence among the key states that are wealthier and have more resources. What Qatar and Turkey say is almost a 180-degree opposite of what the Emirates and the Saudis are saying publicly." ;Financial markets Egyptian shares fell the most in two months. The benchmark EGX 30 Index slumped 3.9 percent, the most since 12 June to 5,334.55 at the 1:30 p.m. close in Cairo. About £E332 million (US$48 million) of shares traded, compared with a one-year daily average of £E391 million. Commercial International Bank Egypt SAE, the country's biggest publicly traded lender, led a list of 29 decliners with a 5.4 percent dive. ;Other *The

's media office in London issued a statement that read the world "cannot sit back and watch while innocent men, women and children are being indiscriminately slaughtered. The world must stand up to the military junta's crime before it is too late."

Rabia sign

As a result of the dispersal of the sit-ins, the Rabia sign (or R4BIA as some supporters call it) emerged widely among the pro-Morsi and pro-Brotherhood masses as a part of a protest campaign against the post-Morsi governmental authorities. The origin of the sign is unclear. ''Raba'a'' means "fourth" in Arabic and the symbol was named after the Rabaa al-Adawiya square. Some credit its invention to

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (born 26 February 1954) is a Turkish politician who is the 12th and current president of Turkey since 2014. He previously served as the 25th prime minister of Turkey, prime minister from 2003 to 2014 as part of the Jus ...

, then Prime Minister of Turkey.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Egyptian raids 2013 Egyptian coup d'état 2013 murders in Egypt 2013 protests Attacks in Egypt in 2013 August 2013 in Egypt Egyptian Crisis (2011–2014) Massacres in Egypt Massacres in 2013 Political repression in Egypt Massacres of protesters in Africa Protests in Egypt Riots and civil disorder in Egypt Political violence in Egypt 21st-century mass murder in Egypt Mass murder in Cairo August 2013 crimes in Africa Police brutality in Africa Law enforcement in Egypt Police brutality in the 2010s