(Newser)
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At least 16 people have been hurt as tens of thousands protest Mohamed Morsi's assumption of new powers in Egypt. Responding to the Egyptian leader's self-proclaimed immunity to judicial review, demonstrations broke out in Cairo and across the country, Bloomberg reports; protesters set fire to Muslim Brotherhood political offices in several cities, AFP notes. Clashes occurred near the Interior Ministry and between protesting factions in Alexandria. As in protests against Hosni Mubarak, people chanted, "The people want the regime down," and "No to a new dictator."
Morsi has "usurped all state powers and appointed himself Egypt’s new pharaoh," tweeted Nobel laureate Mohamed ElBaradei, who reportedly called for protests. The UN's human rights commission cited fears "about the possible huge ramifications of this declaration for human rights and the rule of law." Morsi today said his new powers were intended to achieve stability. But a judge predicts "an intense clash between the judiciary and the presidency unlike any we’ve seen in the past."
