Violence erupted at a protest in support of President Mohamed Morsi Tuesday afternoon near Cairo University when a group of Morsi opponents approached it, chanting against the president, eyewitnesses said.
The protest was held in the wake of nationwide calls for Morsi to resign.
A resident of nearby Bayn al-Sarayat neighborhood told Mada Masr that birdshot was fired, and that the number of reported injuries has risen. The resident, Mohamed Gamal, said he saw Muslim Brotherhood members storming the Cairo University campus as the clashes escalated.
Another Islamist protest also turned violent in Kitkat neighborhood in Giza, when residents attacked the demonstration, firing birdshot, a local journalist told Mada Masr.
Elsewhere, protests continued with no violence. In Tahrir, thousands continue to flock to the square on the third day of protests demanding Morsi’s fall.
“The sheep can never be the king of the jungle; the lion is the king of the jungle, and the people are the lions,” said Zakariya Mohey Eddin, a lawyer who came from Monufiya with fourteen other men from his village, some of whom have camped in the square since Friday.
Anti-Morsi protesters have often called Brotherhood members sheep, suggesting they follow their leaders without question.
The Tamarod, or Rebel, campaign held a march to Qubba Presidential Palace in the afternoon. The campaign says it has gathered twenty-two million signatures demanding Morsi’s ouster. About a thousand people marched to the palace, carrying various anti-Morsi signs.
“No one is against Islam. We’re only against Brotherhood rule,” a sign read.
A police truck arrived near the palace protest to joyful reception, while protesters carried three policemen to chants of “one hand.”
At Ettehadiya, protesters contacted by Mada Masr said the mood is upbeat and the numbers are increasing.
A Brotherhood march, meanwhile, has been touring Nasr City to express support for Morsi, state-run news agency MENA reported.
[This article originally appeared on Mada Masr.]