Clashes reported as Egypt regime freezes assets of Morsi allies

CAIRO, July 15 (UPI) -- Clashes erupted Monday in Cairo between Egyptian security forces and supporters of ousted President Mohamed Morsi, observers said.

Violence was reported Monday evening after police fired tear gas into a crowd of pro-Morsi protesters who had blocked traffic on the Six of October Bridge across Ramses Street, witnesses told Ahram Online. The bridge was later reopened to traffic.

In Cairo's Naser City district, military police prevented about 5,000 protesters from leaving a sit-in near a mosque to head downtown, according to al-Ahram's Arabic website.

Earlier, Egypt's military-led regime said it had frozen the assets of 14 Muslim Brotherhood leaders with ties to Morsi.

Among the leaders whose assets were frozen was millionaire businessman and Islamic activist Khairat el-Shater, the initial presidential candidate of the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party during last year's election that Morsi won. El-Shater was later disqualified by Egypt's election commission.

El-Shater is the Brotherhood's chief financier and the chief strategist, The New York Times said.

The freeze also included the assets of Brotherhood spiritual leader Mohamed Badie, arrested July 10 for allegedly inciting the killing of protesters, and Freedom and Justice Party Chairman Saad el-Katatni, the former speaker of Parliament.

Freedom and Justice Party Vice Chairman Essam el-Erian called for mass rallies Monday "in all the squares of Egypt against the military coup."

Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, the Egyptian armed forces supreme commander, said on national television Sunday Morsi was removed for violating his mandate and refusing to call for a referendum on his presidency.

He said the military takeover was in the interest of national security.

Morsi remained in military custody, authorities said, amid investigations announced Sunday for alleged spying, inciting violence and damaging the economy, British newspaper The Guardian reported.