New Egypt protests leave at least six dead

CAIRO -- At least six people were killed and dozens injured Friday in the latest round of protests against Egypt’s military-backed interim government.

State media reported that clashes broke out between protesters and supporters of the military; the Muslim Brotherhood said protesters were killed after police opened fire on them.

Thousands of protesters turned out in the capital and across the country, with the numbers less than predicted by some sources. At the same time, some demonstrators said the gatherings were the largest since the July 3 military coup that ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi from office. Such claims were especially difficult to verify given that protests were scattered throughout neighborhoods rather than in one central location.

The dispersal through neighborhoods was the same tactic demonstrators followed last week as the military closed some prominent squares and tightened security throughout the city.

Since a military crackdown left hundreds of Morsi supporters dead on Aug. 14, the opposition has become more careful about avoiding large confrontations. But protesters remain defiant in calling for the return of the country’s first democratically elected president.

Many of the Brotherhood’s leaders are now in government custody.

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