President Mohamed Morsy declared a state of emergency in Port Said, Suez and Ismailia for one month on Sunday night.
The state of emergency is effective in the three governorates starting tonight at 12 am.
He also issued a curfew from 9 pm to 6 am in all three cities for the next 30 days.
Morsy announced this in a televised address to the nation. “If I see the state with its people, institutions and public and private property in danger, I will be forced to do more than this for the interests of Egypt,” he said.
“This is my duty and I will not hesitate when it comes to it,” he added.
Morsy also called for a national dialogue with all political figures on Monday. The call came after the deadly clashes outside the presidential palace. This is his second attempt at a national Dialogue following a failed call in December, which opposition boycott.
“There is no alternative to dialogue. It is the only way for Egypt to [become] stable and safe,” he said.
During his speech, Morsy thanked the police and armed forces for the efforts they’ve made over the past days.
He also stated that he had authorized the Ministry of Interior to deal with people who terrorize citizens, threatened the security of the nation, carry weapons and block roads with resolve and force. “There is no room for hesitation when it comes to this so that everyone knows that the state institutions are capable of protecting the nation,” he added.
He described the recent wave of clashes as behaviour that has nothing to do with the revolution. “In fact this is the counter-revolution…. The Egyptian people reject these behaviours,” he said.
Morsy , in the beginning of his speech, also offered his condolences to Egyptians for all who died in the recent violent clashes especially those in “the valiant Port Said and the enduring Suez.”
The death toll of the violence in these three cities has left 40 dead.
