Head of the ruling military council Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi (Photo: Reuters)
In a statement released on Friday evening by Egypt’s Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) on its official facebook page, the military council called on all Egyptians to stand united against strife for the sake of the country.
SCAF’s statement charged that "some people within the country and from abroad are escalating things to target the country’s properties and achievements."
In its third communiqué since the beginning of 2012, the SCAF again stressed its support of people’s right to demonstrate in a peaceful manner to express their demands. However, the statement called on all people to stay alert and for political groups to exert all efforts to end the ongoing strife to achieve stability in Egypt.
The SCAF’s statement was released in response to ongoing clashes between protesters and police forces at the police headquarters in Suez and in front of Cairo’s Ministry of Interior Headquarters.
Clashes, which erupted Thursday night as tens of thousands of angry demonstrators marched on police centers in Cairo and Suez to protest the death of 74 football fans in Port Said stadium on Wednesday night, have left at least twelve dead so far.
Protesters blame police negligence for Port Said Stadium deaths, and some allege that the chaos triggered by Port Said's Masry football team fans storming the pitch and attacking Cairo's Ahly Ultras fans was pre-planned.
Short link: