Islamist supporters battle riot police in protests ahead of key referendum

(10 Jan 2014) Police in Egypt on Friday used tear gas to disperse hundreds of Islamists rallying in Alexandria and Cairo against an upcoming constitutional referendum. Friday has traditionally been a day of protests for the supporters for Islamist President Mohammed Morsi since he was toppled in a July 3 popularly backed military coup. In the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, protesters threw fireworks and firebombs towards riot police who were firing tear gas, bird shot and rubber bullets. People took to the streets after the Muslim Brotherhood renewed calls to protest the constitutional referendum set for January 14 and 15. There were similar violent scenes in the eastern Cairo district of Nasr City, where armoured vehicles were deployed to disperse protesters who fired fireworks at police and tried to block roads with barricades and burning tyres. There was also a large protest march where demonstrators chanted, "Boycott the constitution referendum." "I don't recognise this constitution. We should not call it a constitution. This is a mob that is in control of the country and trying to pass anything to cover up (for the coup)," said one protester Mahmoud El Tehawy. Some protesters carried posters of a hand or themselves made the four-fingered salute which has come to signify the Rabaah al-Adawiya protest camp where more than 600 people died in August when police cleared the site. Police and protesters clashed in several other Egyptian cities as well on Friday. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...