CAIRO: As the main Qasr el-Aini street emptied somewhat on Saturday early afternoon, the aftermath of Friday's clashes continued to reverberate across the country. Leading political and social figures were in downtown Cairo's Tahrir Square on Friday to show solidarity with the cause to demand President Mohamed Morsi withdraw his presidential decree that granted him complete authority above the rule of law on Thursday. Among those showing support for the demonstrations were popular figure Mohamed ElBaradei, actor Ahmed Helmy and former presidential candidates Amr Moussa, Hamdeen Sabahi and Khaled Ali. But one of the former candidates, Socialist Popular Alliance Party chief Abul-Ezz El-Hariri was attacked and beaten by a group of unknown assailants in Alexandria, which saw widespread clashes between anti-Morsi supporters and the Muslim Brotherhood. The party chief said Brotherhood “thugs” assaulted him and his wife on Friday in the coastal city. Speaking to the state-run al-Ahram newspaper on Saturday, he said the attack occurred in front of the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) in the northern city. He continued that he was there to meet with the Alexandria security chief in order to receive an update on a group of protesters who had been detained earlier in the day. “They [the thugs] attacked my wife and I with swords and clubs, injuring us on the head and chest. They also smashed our car,” El-Hariri continued. Alexandria, like Cairo, saw massive protesters and violence between protesters, many of whom were angered over the presidential decree issued by Morsi on Thursday that said no decision he has taken as president can be appealed. Anti-Morsi protesters in the Mediterranean city attacked the FJP headquarters and another office in the city during the violence.
