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| 6 Are Killed in Egypt After a Call for Protests Rattles the Authorities | |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| CAIRO — Six people were killed in political violence on Friday as a small and little-known Islamist group’s call for protests failed to turn out big numbers but still spooked the military-backed government into locking down the capital. | CAIRO — Six people were killed in political violence on Friday as a small and little-known Islamist group’s call for protests failed to turn out big numbers but still spooked the military-backed government into locking down the capital. |
| The reaction betrayed a measure of official anxiety over the smoldering insurgency centered in North Sinai, but spilling to other parts of the country. | The reaction betrayed a measure of official anxiety over the smoldering insurgency centered in North Sinai, but spilling to other parts of the country. |
| Violence was reported at levels only slightly higher than what has become usual in recent months. State media reported that two senior military officers were killed in separate drive-by shootings, one in Cairo and another in the Nile Delta town of Qalyubia. A police conscript was killed in Giza, across the Nile from Cairo. | |
| Security officials said that at least three protesters were killed in clashes with the police in Matareya, on the outskirts of Cairo, a frequent protest hot spot. Around the country, more than two dozen protesters were injured and more than 200 were arrested, state media reported. A few improvised explosives detonated without causing injury, and the police said they had defused as many as 10 more. | Security officials said that at least three protesters were killed in clashes with the police in Matareya, on the outskirts of Cairo, a frequent protest hot spot. Around the country, more than two dozen protesters were injured and more than 200 were arrested, state media reported. A few improvised explosives detonated without causing injury, and the police said they had defused as many as 10 more. |
| The Salafi Front, a small, ultraconservative group with no track record of major public demonstrations, had called for the day of protest to defend what it said was Egypt’s Islamic identity, contending that that identity had come under assault since the military takeover last year that removed President Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood. | |
| The group’s appeal never had much reasonable hope of generating a massive turnout. To begin with, the government has enforced a strict prohibition on any unauthorized assembly. The police use swift force to disperse demonstrations, whether organized by liberal or religious groups, and courts have sentenced those who take part to years in prison. | The group’s appeal never had much reasonable hope of generating a massive turnout. To begin with, the government has enforced a strict prohibition on any unauthorized assembly. The police use swift force to disperse demonstrations, whether organized by liberal or religious groups, and courts have sentenced those who take part to years in prison. |
| The Brotherhood, Egypt’s mainstream Islamist group and most capable organizer, has been crippled by a sweeping crackdown, including the mass shootings of hundreds at its rallies and the jailing of most of its leaders as well as thousands of its members. Its leaders in exile gave only ambivalent support for Friday’s protests, endorsing the concept but urging demonstrators to avoid confrontations with the police and to keep the rallies peaceful. | The Brotherhood, Egypt’s mainstream Islamist group and most capable organizer, has been crippled by a sweeping crackdown, including the mass shootings of hundreds at its rallies and the jailing of most of its leaders as well as thousands of its members. Its leaders in exile gave only ambivalent support for Friday’s protests, endorsing the concept but urging demonstrators to avoid confrontations with the police and to keep the rallies peaceful. |
| Most other Islamist groups opposed the idea, arguing that it was more effective to hold rallies under the banner of democracy, rather than appealing to religious identity. | Most other Islamist groups opposed the idea, arguing that it was more effective to hold rallies under the banner of democracy, rather than appealing to religious identity. |
| The Islamist dissenters included the Nour Party, the main ultraconservative movement, which supported the removal of Mr. Morsi; but also moderate or relatively liberal groups that have joined the Brotherhood in opposition to the military takeover. Gamaa al-Islamiya, which led a bloody insurgency in the 1990s but later renounced violence, also condemned the protests as polarizing. | The Islamist dissenters included the Nour Party, the main ultraconservative movement, which supported the removal of Mr. Morsi; but also moderate or relatively liberal groups that have joined the Brotherhood in opposition to the military takeover. Gamaa al-Islamiya, which led a bloody insurgency in the 1990s but later renounced violence, also condemned the protests as polarizing. |
| The government has struggled to suppress the Sinai-based Islamist insurgency that has staged deadly attacks on security forces there, in the western desert and occasionally in and around the capital. | The government has struggled to suppress the Sinai-based Islamist insurgency that has staged deadly attacks on security forces there, in the western desert and occasionally in and around the capital. |
| Hundreds of soldiers and police officers have died in extremist attacks since the takeover, and two recent assaults have been unusually brazen. One killed at least 31 officers at a military checkpoint in North Sinai in October. | |
| The main insurgent group, Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, this month declared itself the “Sinai province” of the extremist group that calls itself the Islamic State, and is also known as ISIS or ISIL. | The main insurgent group, Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, this month declared itself the “Sinai province” of the extremist group that calls itself the Islamic State, and is also known as ISIS or ISIL. |
| That affiliation has stirred fears that Ansar Beit al-Maqdis may abandon its previous focus on the security forces to begin attacking civilians as well. Analysts have also worried that the affiliation might be announced with some spectacular attack. | That affiliation has stirred fears that Ansar Beit al-Maqdis may abandon its previous focus on the security forces to begin attacking civilians as well. Analysts have also worried that the affiliation might be announced with some spectacular attack. |
| Although few heard or heeded the online calls to protest by the Salafi Front, the state-run and pro-government media broadcast weeks of escalating warnings about the dangers involved. State media reported before the day even began that the police had arrested more than 100 Brotherhood members accused of plotting violence. | Although few heard or heeded the online calls to protest by the Salafi Front, the state-run and pro-government media broadcast weeks of escalating warnings about the dangers involved. State media reported before the day even began that the police had arrested more than 100 Brotherhood members accused of plotting violence. |
| Pro-government Muslim clerics supported calls for a forcible response, and large numbers of heavily armed military and police forces were deployed around the capital on high alert on Friday. Many businesses were closed and streets were deserted. | Pro-government Muslim clerics supported calls for a forcible response, and large numbers of heavily armed military and police forces were deployed around the capital on high alert on Friday. Many businesses were closed and streets were deserted. |
| But in Tahrir Square and other central locations the only demonstrators who showed up were pro-government, cheering for the crackdown and denouncing the Islamists. Protests in Matareya and elsewhere were scarcely larger than those on a typical Friday. | But in Tahrir Square and other central locations the only demonstrators who showed up were pro-government, cheering for the crackdown and denouncing the Islamists. Protests in Matareya and elsewhere were scarcely larger than those on a typical Friday. |
| Drive-by shootings of military officers are rare but not unheard-of in Cairo, and insurgents have made them common occurrences in North Sinai. |