At least 30 people were killed Friday in Egypt as gunfire and running battles erupted in several cities during a day of protests called by Islamists angered by the military ouster of President Mohammed Morsi. At least 12 deaths were reported in clashes In Alexandria, the country's second largest city, after Islamists opened fire on a rally of Morsi opponents, a medical services official told the Associated Press. Police sided with Morsi protesters in the Mediterranean coastal city. More than 400 were reported injured nationwide, the Health Ministry said. In Cairo, the bloodiest confrontation came as troops opened fire on protesters outside the Republican Guards military barracks where the ousted president is being held. A Health Ministry official told the Associated Press that four people were killed. Hundreds of demonstrators had marched to the site following afternoon prayers, chanting, "After sunset, President Morsi will be back in the palace." Morsi, the country's first democratically elected president, was removed from office two days ago by the military, which also ordered the suspension of the constitution and parliament. At nightfall, a crowd of Islamists surged across the October 6 Bridge over the Nile River and clashed with Morsi opponents near Tahrir Square and outside the state TV building. One witness reported gunfire and stone-throwing, and one person was killed, said Khaled el-Khatib, of the Health Ministry. Late Friday, military armored vehicles arrived on the bridge and outside the TV station to stop the fighting, and Morsi supporters retreated. Adham AbdelSalam, an Egyptian television and radio presenter, tweeted reports and photos from Tahrir Square showing injured civilians and a bullet casing in his hand.
