Egypt crisis: Clashes in Cairo amid constitution row

Rival protesters have clashed outside the presidential palace in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, as unrest grows over a controversial draft constitution. Petrol bombs were thrown and a number of people were injured, amid reports of shots being fired. Supporters of President Mohamed Morsi dismantled tents set up outside the presidential palace by Morsi critics. Vice-President Mahmoud Mekki has said a referendum on the draft will go ahead on 15 December despite the unrest. But he indicated that changes could be made after the vote, saying the "door for dialogue" remained open. He urged critics of the draft document to put their concerns in writing for future discussion. Critics say the draft was rushed through parliament without proper consultation and that it does not do enough to protect political and religious freedoms and the rights of women. The draft added to the anger generated by Mr Morsi passing a decree in late November which granted him wide-ranging new powers. An opposition protester is helped by police in Cairo (5 Dec 2012) A number of people were injured during the clashes On Wednesday afternoon, supporters of Mr Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood movement rallied outside the presidential palace, where the mainly secular opponents of the president were already staging a protest. The pro-Morsi group chanted "The people want to cleanse the square" and "Morsi has legitimacy", AFP news agency reported. Stones and petrol bombs were thrown, and Morsi supporters dismantled some of the tents set up by their opponents. There were also reports of gunfire. Witnesses reported seeing a number of wounded people. AFP said the anti-Morsi group had fled the area. In a joint news conference, Mohamed ElBaradei, Amr Moussa and other leading figures of the opposition National Rescue Front said they held Mr Morsi fully responsible for the violence. "Our opinion was, and still is, that we are ready for dialogue if the constitutional decree is cancelled ... and the referendum on this constitution is postponed," said Mr ElBaradei. "The revolution did not happen for this. It happened for freedom, democracy and human dignity. "Morsi must listen to the people, whose voice is loud and clear. There is no legitimacy in excluding the majority of the people. There is no legitimacy in enabling one group to dominate Egypt," he said. Former presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabahi said the opposition would "fight the constitution under the leadership of ElBaradei". "We refuse to vote on a constitution people did not take part in drafting. What we experience now amounts to fascism," he said. Two of Mr Morsi's advisers resigned on Wednesday in an apparent protest, after three others did so last week. 'Must be consensus' In a news conference broadcast earlier on state television, Mr Mekki said there was "real political will to pass the current period and respond to the demands of the public". But he said there "must be consensus" on the constitution, and that "the door for dialogue is open for those who object to the draft". Advertisement Egyptian Vice-President: 'Door open' "I am completely confident that if not in the coming hours, in the next few days we will reach a breakthrough in the crisis and consensus," he said. He proposed that the opposition put their concerns about particular parts of the constitution into writing, but that this was "not a formal initiative but a personal idea". The BBC's Jon Leyne in Cairo says there are mixed messages coming from the government. It has spoken about the need for dialogue for some time but has offered few concrete concessions which would end the crisis, he adds. On Tuesday, tens of thousands of anti-Morsi demonstrators besieged the palace, clashing with police who fired tear gas. Eighteen people were slightly injured in the brief burst of violence, the official Mena news agency reported. Many of those gathered outside the palace, in the suburb of Heliopolis, chanted slogans similar to those directed against the regime of former President Hosni Mubarak during the uprising in February 2011. Mr Morsi adopted sweeping new powers in a decree on 22 November, and stripped the judiciary of any power to challenge his decisions. Mr Morsi, who narrowly won Egypt's first free presidential election in June, says he will give up his new powers once a new constitution is ratified. Are you taking part in the protest against President Morsi, or do you support him? Send us your comments and experiences using the form below Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (International). 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Terms and conditions Send Clear More on This Story Egypt changing Features and Analysis * Jon LeyneDivisions likely to deepen Egypt's draft constitution is likely to deepen divisions between liberals and the Muslim Brotherhood, the BBC's Middle East correspondent Jon Leyne says. * Q&A: President v judiciary * Old and draft charters compared * Who holds the power? * Morsi's 100 days in power * What drove Morsi's outburst? * Foreign policy clues * Sexual harassment 'epidemic' * Morsi's swipe at military * Brotherhood's media 'power grab' * Revolution 'failing women' * Deeds, not words * Revolution stalled? Profiles * Mohammed Morsi * Hisham Qandil * Abdul Fattah al-Sisi * Mahmoud Mekki * Hosni Mubarak * Muslim Brotherhood Guides * Q&A: Crisis in Egypt * Q&A: New interim constitution * Q&A: Supreme Court rulings * Protest timeline * Map timeline * Protests map * Country by country protests Share this page Share this page 1.6K * Share * Facebook * Twitter * Email * Print In association with Click here to find out more! 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