ElBaradei joins Egyptian street protest

ALEXANDRIA, Egypt, June 25 (UPI) -- Mohamed ElBaradei, former head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog and potential Egyptian presidential candidate, joined a street protest Friday in Alexandria.

About 4,000 people turned out for the demonstration outside a mosque, The Guardian (Britain) said. The sit-in was called to protest the death of Khaled Said, allegedly killed by plainclothes police officers. Witnesses say Said was beaten in an internet cafe earlier this month and taken away in a police car, with his body later dumped in front of the cafe.

ElBaradei, who also met with Said's family, called the death an "egregious humanitarian violation" and said it revealed a "lack of sanctity of human life."

Hundreds of police officers in riot gear watched the crowd, the largest group so far to protest Said's death. The Guardian was told ElBaradei left the demonstration when anti-Mubarak slogans started.

ElBaradei, 68, earned law degrees in Switzerland and the United States after graduating from the University of Cairo. He has spent much of his career outside of Egypt, including serving as head of the International Atomic Energy Agency. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005.