Al-Dostour party in Beheira entered a three-day “period of mourning” on Monday, in memory of the loss of Islam Massoud. The 15-year-old was killed in clashes on Sunday in the northern city of Damanhour, Beheira.
The local Muslim Brotherhood branch has claimed Islam was a member of their organisation.
All local Al-Dostour activities, including protests scheduled for Tuesday decrying President Mohamed Morsy’s constitutional declaration, have been cancelled.
“We’re entitled to do so, especially since Massoud’s brother is a party member,” Nader Al-Raqed, Al-Dostour party representative in Beheira said.
The official Facebook page for Beheira.com had posted a statement claiming that Al-Dostour party members were “insistent on provoking the families of the victims” by protesting in Damanhour streets on Monday night. The statement added that no Muslim Brotherhood members were present in the streets Monday night.
In a statement Al-Dostour denied the presence of its members in protests in Damanhour.
Al-Dostour party expressed “surprise and annoyance” at such “false” news, demanding that all parties behave objectively. The Facebook page was described in Al-Dostour‘s statement as “an affiliate of the Muslim Brotherhood.”
“Some Damanhour families did demonstrate yesterday against the Muslim Brotherhood,” Al-Raqed said, but he insisted that no Al-Dostour party members joined the protesters.
Al-Raqed said that some high school students, with no political affiliation, were held at a local Muslim Brotherhood headquarters. He added that some of the students were beaten and electrocuted by Brotherhood members.
The Popular Current’s spokesperson Heba Yassin said the current will not suspend any activities.
“Some Popular Current members are joining us from Beheira in today’s protests,” Yassin said.
Several political groups organised marches and protests throughout the country onTuesday, in protest at Morsy’s declaration.
Violence ensued between demonstrators and Muslim brotherhood sympathisers on Sunday night in Damanhour, leading to several injuries and the death of Islam Massoud.
