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Morsi, Muslim Brotherhood Defend Response to Protests

President Mohammed Morsi publicly expressed grief over those killed and wounded, while defending his actions against armed demonstrators. The Muslim Brotherhood claimed its members were the victims, not perpetrators, of the violence in Egypt, Mohannad Sabry reports from Cairo.
A protester who was injured during overnight clashes between supporters and opponents of Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi, is detained by the Republican Guard in front of the presidential palace in Cairo, December 6, 2012. Egypt's Republican Guard restored order around the presidential palace on Thursday after fierce overnight clashes killed seven people, but passions ran high in a struggle over the country's future. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany (EGYPT - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST)

CAIRO — Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi expressed his grief over the deaths and hundreds of injuries resulting from violent clashes that continued into Wednesday, while warning against further challenges to his decrees and confirming that the constitutional referendum will be held as scheduled for Dec. 15.

“Such painful events happened because of political differences that should be resolved through dialogue,” said Morsi, adding: “I will never allow anyone to deliberately kill, sabotage, terrorize peaceful citizens, and attempt a coup on legitimacy.”

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