Egypt Protesters Defy Curfew, Battle Police

Egyptian riot police used tear gas in battles with protesters January 28 in Cairo.

Unrest has continued in Egypt, with protesters battling police in Cairo and directly defying a nighttime curfew imposed in three Suez Canal cities.

Large crowds of people were reported in the streets after dark January 28 in Cairo, Alexandria and in the three cities -- Port Said, Ismailia, and Suez -- where President Muhammad Morsi decreed emergency rule.

At least one man was reported killed and two police vehicles set on fire in Cairo as protesters clashed with security forces. Riot police used tear gas to repel protesters.

In another development, opposition political figures boycotted a January 28 meeting called by the president to discuss ways to end the unrest.

The Islamist-backed Morsi declared a month-long state of emergency in the three Suez cities after around 50 people were killed and hundreds were injured in violence over the weekend.

Pro-reform protesters accuse Morsi of failing to fulfill the democratic goals of Egypt's 2011 revolution and of surrendering the nation’s development to the Muslim Brotherhood, the main political force behind the president.

Based on reporting from Reuters, AP and AFP