Egypt's Brotherhood won't work with 'usurper' gov't

Brotherhood calls on protesters to show "self restraint" after turbulent 24-hours in which Morsi overthrown, at least 14 killed.

By REUTERS
Mohamed Morsi supporters perform drill in Cairo 370 (photo credit: Reuters)
Mohamed Morsi supporters perform drill in Cairo 370
(photo credit: Reuters)
CAIRO - Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood will not work with "the usurper authorities", a member of its executive board said on Thursday, rejecting feelers from the newly sworn-in head of state after the military removed Islamist President Mohamed Morsi from power.
"We reject participation in any work with the usurper authorities," Sheikh Abdel Rahman al-Barr said in a statement published on the group's website.
"We call on protesters to show self restraint and stay peaceful. We reject the oppressive, police state practices: killing, arrests, curbing media freedom and closing TV channels."
After a turbulent 24 hours in which Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi was overthrown by the army and hundreds of thousands rallied across the country, Constitutional Court chief Adli Mansour was sworn in as interim head of state on Thursday.
At least 14 people were killed and hundreds wounded in clashes between opponents and supporters of Morsi, following his removal late Wednesday. Morsi and several senior officials of his Muslim Brotherhood movement were being held at various locations by security services.
The Egyptian prosecutor's office also ordered the arrest of the Muslim Brotherhood's top leader, Mohamed Badie, and his deputy, Khairat el-Shater, judicial and army sources said.
Speaking at the Constitutional Court in Cairo after the ceremony, Mansour said he planned to hold new elections, but did not specify when.
Eight were reported dead were in the northern city of Marsa Matrouh. Al-Anani Hamouda, a senior provincial security official, said two members of security forces were among those killed.
Three people died and at least 50 were wounded in fighting in the coastal city of Alexandria, state news agency MENA reported. Witnesses said that gunfire broke out as rocks and bricks flew. A woman stabbed in the stomach was among the dead, MENA said, along with two men hit by birdshot.
Three people were also killed in the southern Egyptian city of Minya, including two policemen, MENA said, adding that another 14 people had been wounded.
Dozens more were hurt in Fayoum, south of Cairo, where unidentified assailants broke into the local offices of the Freedom and Justice Party, the Brotherhood's political wing, MENA said. The attackers looted the headquarters and set them on fire, it said.