Egypt protesters defy 9 p.m. curfew http://tinyurl.com/bf6pvkv
Egyptian official warns of state's collapse as protesters defy curfew...
The turmoil dividing Egypt could spell the demise of a country that had just recently celebrated hopes of a democratic future, the defense minister said.
threatens the future of the nation, the defense minister said, as the instability persists in the Arab world's most populous nation.
"The ongoing conflict among the various political forces ... may lead to the collapse of the state and threaten the future of our coming generations," Defense Minister Gen. Abdul Fattah al-Sisi said Tuesday.
Anti-government protesters ignored Egyptian President Mohamed Morsy's curfew order in cities along the Suez Canal and clashed with police and troops, state-run media reported Tuesday.
It's the latest in the seesaw struggle between Egypt's first democratically elected president and dissidents who say his tenure is a throwback to past dictatorships, particularly the reign of President Hosni Mubarak, who was toppled in a popular revolt two years ago.
The most recent furor stems from Morsy's declaration of a limited state of emergency for violent hot spots. On Sunday, he announced a 30-day nighttime curfew for the provinces of Port Said, Suez and Ismailia.
Those areas have seen a spate of bloodshed in recent days, starting with the second anniversary of the Egyptian revolution on Friday.
Dissidents angry about the slow pace of change fought with Morsy supporters and police. At least seven people were killed in those clashes.
The tumult intensified a day later, when a judge issued death sentences for 21 Port Said residents for their roles in a deadly football riot last year.
Port Said, which has had a difficult relationship with Cairoover the past six decades, erupted in chaos. At least 38 people were killed in the two days following the verdicts.
The scores of deaths prompted Navi Pillay, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, to denounce the violence and call for dialogue among all parties.
"While at least two policemen are among those killed, preliminary unconfirmed reports suggest that most of the casualties have been caused by live fire and excessive use o 