More than 200 people have been killed and more than 1,400 have been wounded in Cairo on Wednesday as Egyptian security forces have cracked down on protesters, according to various news reports. Security forces have used armored vehicles, bulldozers and tear gas against protesters who have been staging sit-ins in support of the ousted President Mohammed Morsi.
Vice President Mohamed ElBaradei resigned in protest of the violent crackdowns. Supporters of Morsi, who was ousted by the military along with his Muslim Brotherhood-backed government, shot four police dead during the clashes, according to Egyptian state television.
The attempt to clear supporters of the deposed Morsi from the streets of the capital set off several violent clashes throughout Cairo. While police forcefully removed the protesters from two antigovernment sit-in camps, protesters responded in kind by attempting to storm police stations throughout the Egyptian capital.
Governments around the world condemned the use of violence in the crackdown, including the United States. The White House released this press statement:
“The United States strongly condemns the use of violence against protesters in Egypt. We extend our condolences to the families of those who have been killed, and to the injured. We have repeatedly called on the Egyptian military and security forces to show restraint, and for the government to respect the universal rights of its citizens, just as we have urged protesters to demonstrate peacefully. Violence will only make it more difficult to move Egypt forward on a path to lasting stability and democracy, and runs directly counter to the pledges by the interim government to pursue reconciliation. We also strongly oppose a return to a State of Emergency law, and call on the government to respect basic human rights such as freedom of peaceful assembly, and due process under the law. The world is watching what is happening in Cairo. We urge the government of Egypt - and all parties in Egypt - to refrain from violence and resolve their differences peacefully.”
Meanwhile, Egypt continues to descend into chaos amid intense fighting. Take a look at what transpired on Aug. 14 in the pictures below.
Warning: Some of the photos below are especially graphic.